DM - BEING REWRITTEN!
by Katfosel
Summary: The Kishin Asura has been defeated, but now a new enemy lurks on the horizon... Kid is struggling to complete his Lines of Sanzu to be a full Shinigami, while a strange creature seems to be hunting him for his power. my first fanfic! T cuz i'm crazy (DM stands for Dark Moon)
1. Chapter 1: Victory

A/N: this is my first fic so be nice c:  
>Reviews are appreciated!<br>This occurs right after the end of the anime, but I might incorporate characters from the manga accidentally... don't kill me :3

_Right after the defeat of the Kishin, Maka, Black__Star, and Kid were__ heading back to the DWMA…_

Maka was talking happily to Soul, Black Star was bounding along bragging about being God, being trailed by Tsubaki, but Kid was being heavily supported by Liz and Patty. The sudden unleashing of his true powers after having been stabbed through the chest had weakened him, and he couldn't even really stand on his own. Maka and Black Star hadn't even noticed yet - they were too caught up in their own partner, until Tsubaki looked around and looked back. "Oh, my! Kid, are you all right?"

The rest of the group turned. "Hey..." Maka ran back and walked next to Liz. "What's wrong with him?"

"'Him' has a name," Kid rasped irritably.

Liz rolled her eyes. "He's fine. It looks worse because he insisted that we support him on both sides - if it was only one, there would be no symmetry. He just needs to rest." However, the weapons's words didn't seem entirely sincere on the last sentence, and a small flash of worry appeared in her eyes.

"Yahoo! We're here!" Black Star yelled as he bounded up the steps to the DWMA.

Kid looked up painfully to see his father, still full of holes and with a few cracks in his mask, waiting for them alongside Spirit, Stein, Crona, Marie, Azusa, Justin, Sid, and Nygus. He took his arms back from around Liz and Patty's necks and tried walking forward, but stumbled, so they caught his arms again and helped him up. Then the whole team stood before Lord Death, Maka and Black Star trying to hide their surprise at their wounded leader.

But Lord Death was watching his son. Kid kept his head high, despite the effort, and managed to stand on his own. Everyone could see how much it was costing him.

Kid's eyes were full of pain, not for his wounds but for father. "Dad..." he looked down. "I'm sorry. It's my fault you're injured. I should have tried to help you fight Asura - we might have been able to defeat him together." He hung his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered again.

"No," Lord Death said sternly. "It was never my wish for you to get hurt fighting him. It seems I am the one who must ask for YOUR forgiveness." He set a large white hand on Kid's shoulder.

Kid lifted his head and smiled, then suddenly buckled a little. Lord Death caught him easily and lifted him into his arms. It seemed the young reaper had finally succumbed to blood loss and collapsed. Stein came over and inspected the tear in the front of Kid's suit, which was becoming slowly stained with blood from the stab wound. "Set him down," Stein told Lord Death, frowning as he gently pulled off the black and white jacket. He shook his head. "First we need to get him a bed and some bandages." He looked expectantly at Nygus.

She nodded. "On it," she said and ran off inside to prepare a bed and a room. Lord Death insisted on carrying his son inside, where he set the black-haired Meister down on the small cot. There Stein enlisted Liz and Patty to help him slowly remove Kid's jacket and shirt so the 'doctor' could examine him.

After a while Stein sighed and leaned back. "Well... he'll be okay." Patty squealed and Liz smiled.

Stein frowned. "It might take a while... but he really just needs some rest and medicine. However..." he glanced at Lord Death. "The sudden outburst of his powers has weakened him. And there's... something else going on inside his soul. I can't quite make it out..."

Everybody turned to Lord Death, who raised his large hands defensively. "Hey, hey, what's with the staring?"

Spirit cleared his throat. "Uh, sir, you are the only conscious Grim Reaper in the room... plus you are the elder one."

Lord Death made the 'V' peace sign with his fingers. "Haha, right you are!" Then he calmed down and grew more serious. "I'm glad it's finally happening, although it would have been a lot better for him if he had been fully healthy prior to experiencing that trauma..."

"Trauma?" Maka interrupted, horrified. "You mean it hurts him to use his powers?"

"No, no!" Lord Death reassured her. "His powers don't hurt. But having received such a large wound directly after connecting all three Lines of Sanzu... that is what worries me."

"Pardon me sir, but what exactly are these Lines?" Maka interrupted.

Stein gave a sideways glance and nodded. "Yes... I'd like to know too."

"Hmm..." Lord Death mused. "I suppose you could call it... the key to his powers?"

Black Star snorted. "So the key to his powers is his /hair?/"

Which earned him a Reaper and Maka Chop in the exact same moment.

"Anyways, once all three are connected fully and stay that way, Kid will officially be a full Shinigami."

At that moment, the patient in question stirred a little and cracked open his eyes. "What... Dad?"

Patty hugged his arm. "You're awake!"

Kid looked at her, horrified. "What do you think you're doing? Liz!"

Liz groaned. "And, here we go..." So she went over and hugged his other arm reluctantly.

Kid relaxed.

Stein raised an eyebrow. Patty was in hysterics, as usual, Soul snorted and earned a Maka Chop, ending up on the floor beside a passed-out Black Star.

Nygus came in and frowned. "A few less visitors, if you please?"

"Of course." Stein jabbed Spirit and rolled out of the room on his chair. "We'll leave."

Lord Death nodded to Kid, who grew instantly serious, then left.

Then Kid noticed the irregular placement of the medicine bottles on the shelf, Black Star and Soul climbed on Kid's bed, a few Maka Chops were passed around, and Patty dissolved into laughter once more...

Review please and tell me if I should continue the next chapter! :)  
>Sorry it's so short, I didn't have much time on the computer tonight...<p>

~DeaththeKidKat


	2. Chapter 2: Recovery

A/N: Oookay… nevermind. :3 my dad's watching some dumb English murder mystery until 10pm, when Merlin is on… ugh so I came in here and started writing the next chapter! XD

Kid stared at the ceiling and sighed. _Ugh. I'm so bored._ He wanted to get up and do something, but it was the middle of the night and he found that Nygus purposely locked the door to keep him from exerting himself too much. His father never really slept to his knowledge though…

With that in mind, Kid got out of his bed, wincing in pain, and treaded softly past the hospital bed that Liz and Patty shared. They had insisted somebody needed to watch him 24/7 – what with his strange habits and all. Kid didn't really mind, they shared a house after all. But he didn't want to wake them up. So he went into the adjoining room, where a mirror stood against the wall. There was one in almost every room in the DWMA, in case of emergencies Lord Death could always be contacted.

Summoning his father with a soft glow of purple light, Kid waited for his father's image to appear in the mirror. "Wassup!" Kid put a finger to his lips and pointed off towards the adjoining room. "Dad!"

"Oh, right. So hey, Kiddo, what's eating at you?" His father always seemed to know when something was bothering Kid. The young reaper sighed. "Dad… why aren't my Lines of Sanzu connecting? I should be old enough. I'm nearly a hundred now." Since he was a Death God, he was immortal, and nobody other than his father and Liz and Patty actually knew his real age. Actually, not even Kid knew his father's true age.

"You can't rush it Kid," Lord Death said wisely. "They'll connect on their own."

Kid hung his head. "I know… but I feel so useless sometimes. I fight in battles and I _know_ that I can do more… but there's a wall within me, blocking my access to my true power. I felt it for the first time during your fight with Asura. I knew that I could help you, but at the same time I couldn't." Kid looked helplessly at the older reaper. "I know I can never become the next Grim Reaper unless I connect these Lines. These stupid, asymmetrical, halfway lines. And you were lucky that Asura wasn't blasting us with full force when you took the blow!" Kid's voice was rising as he ranted, but he quieted down when he heard a small murmur from Patty in the next room.

Lord Death stayed silent, surveying his son. "Look, Kid… you will be a great Reaper. You have to wait for your power." Then a small edge of humor entered his tone. "Who knows – that team of yours may very well be the thing that makes you realize your purpose. Only then will the Lines connect."

Kid looked up, surprised, then flinched when a bolt of pain hit his chest. He rested a hand against the bandages crisscrossing his chest, and sat down heavily in a chair. His father seemed to sadden as he watched. "Get some sleep, Kid. Your time will come." With that he ended the connection and the mirror went blank, leaving Kid in the dark. Dark that couldn't compare to the utter sadness in his soul.

Patty yawned and prodded her sister. "Hey sis! Wake up!" Her sister grumbled and rolled over. Patty glanced to the bed that Kid occupied and shot bolt upright, her eyes widening in shock. "Liz!" That woke Liz up. Patty never called her by name, just 'sis.' The elder Thompson surveyed the empty hospital bed.

"Oh great…" she sighed, but Patty could tell she was really worried. They ran around the room, checked that the door had been locked, then peeked in the office. There, asleep in a chair, was Kid. Since the bandages around his wound were changed often, he wasn't wearing a shirt, but one hand rested on his chest and he his brow was wrinkled in a frown of pain.

Patty was unusually subdued and sad as she helped her sister gently lift Kid and carry him back to his bed. Just then BlackStar burst through the door, followed by a sweat-dropping Tsubaki. "The great BlackStar has come to-" then Patty's hand clamped over his mouth. She pointed furiously at Kid, who Liz was arranging back into bed, propping an extra pillow under his head.

BlackStar seemed to sober up a little, and Patty removed her hand. Maka and Soul walked in after them, and sighed when they saw the sleeping Kid. Tsubaki came over and smoothed the reaper's bangs back from his face. She smiled. "He seems so much less… uptight when he's asleep," she whispered.

Maka frowned. "Yeah, but he looks like he's in pain…"

Liz shook her head. "He's always like that. It just aches."

At that moment Kid woke up, opening his sharp golden eyes with a gasp. Everybody started. "What are you guys… you know what, I'm starting to get too used to waking up with everybody crowding around me like they're at my funeral." He frowned at all of them.

Patty couldn't help giggling. Liz shot her a look. "Kid… you feeling okay?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Why?"

"You keep wincing in your sleep," Maka butted in.

Kid looked mortified. "How do you know what I look like while I'm asleep?"

This time it was Liz who snorted. "I told them. And it's true – you're always frowning." She hesitated before adding, "like you're in pain."

"I'm fine," he sighed, looking away sadly. "My wound isn't hurting."

Tsubaki murmured something he didn't catch, but the black-haired meister just closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

ONE MONTH LATER…

Kid pulled on the collared white shirt Liz had brought for him eagerly. "Finally out of this tiny room."

"And remember, take it easy," Nygus was reminding him.

The young meister rolled his eyes. "I know." Then he headed out of his room followed by Liz and Patty. He still had bandages around his wound, but those were mostly just for superficial stuff.

The rest of his team, along with Killik, Ox, Kim, and their weapons, were waiting outside. They smiled when they caught sight of him. "Congratulations on healing!" Tsubaki said softly.

BlackStar laughed. "You must have been really bored without the great me around!"

Kid rolled his eyes. "You realize you were terrible visitors, right?"

Soul snorted. "Oh come on. You were worse, that time when Maka was paralyzed after Arachne was revived? You didn't do anything but rearrange medicine bottles."

"They were an offense to symmetry! They had to be corrected."

"Riighhtt…"

The group moved outside, talking and laughing loudly. Just then the back of Kid's neck prickled and he spun around, narrowing his eyes.

"Something wrong?" Ox asked, peering past Kid's shoulder.

The rest of the group stopped. Kid shook himself. "Nothing…" but he couldn't help but glance back again before heading off with the rest of Spartoi.

All week Kid felt that presence following him, but he could never figure out where it was coming from. At times it felt like it was coming from… above? But after the party his father threw for him at Gallows Manor and several more weeks of normal activity he began to relax. If it was a strange soul he or his father or even Maka would have sensed it by now. So the young reaper paid no more attention to it.

How wrong he was.

Haha I finished it! XDDD so anyways I have to go to the beach this weekend… I'll be back Monday, if possible I'll upload the next chapter then

Me: imma stalkin u kid… o.O

Kid: T.T'

Me: MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

~DeaththeKidKat


	3. Chapter 3: Shadows

Thanks to all the people who reviewed! ^.^

Urgh… I was at the beach forever and I only just got back home :3

But on the upside there's no school today! :D

"Master, I have good news," the strange hooded man intoned from behind his mask. "The reaper is healed and will be on the move again. He will be easy to kill."

_Good… _The mystical voice floated in on the breeze, a disembodied soul seeking life. _Do not kill him… I need him alive for my plans._

"Of course, master." With a sly grin the assassin pulled out a M16 rifle from it's sling across his back. "Ready Les?" he asked the rifle. A face, too brief to make out, flashed on the metal.

"Oh yeah." And with that the pair exited the cave to complete their mission…

… kill Death the Kid.

o.O.o

"YAHOO! I CHALLENGE YOU!"

Soul rolled his eyes. "He just got out of the hospital, BlackStar. Go a _little_ easy on him."

BlackStar snorted. "No way. Surpassing God doesn't work if I hold back."

"Seriously? I haven't even gotten these blasted bandages off and you're already plotting to kill me?" There was a hint of amusement in Kid's words as he raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Kill you?" the blue-haired assassin snorted. "Nah. Just grind you to a pulp so you can see exactly how strong the great BlackStar is!"

"Makaaaa… CHOP!" BlackStar slumped to the ground, a smoking dent in his skull. Maka stood over him, a hardcover book in her hand and a frown on her face. "Will you shut up? Let Kid fully heal first."

Soul stretched. "You're on cooking duty tonight Maka, remember? I hope we have enough food in the fridge…"

The scythe meister frowned. "I thought Blair was on cooking duty…"

"Ughh…" Soul gagged. "I don't think I can stomach any more burnt fish."

Kid started to laugh when he felt a prickling sensation. Turning his head slightly, his golden eyes focused and refocused, when they suddenly widened. "DUCK!" He dived for Maka, BlackStar, and Soul, and pushed them all to the ground. A bullet whizzed over his head, grazing his outstretched hands.

The others rolled with the impact as Kid sat up, clutching his hands and gasping. For some reason the cuts felt like they were… burning.

"Are you okay?" Maka asked, running over. Kid nodded tersely and tried to locate the sniper, but he had disappeared.

Tsubaki, Liz, Patty, and Stein came running out of the Academy. "What happened?" the professor inquired. Then he saw Kid's hands and dug a roll of bandages out of his pocked. "Here." He began wrapping one hand, examining the other.

Kid was still wincing. The others frowned. "Hey Kid… I thought since you were a reaper little cuts didn't hurt. Why are you flinching?" Soul asked.

"It burns…" Kid gasped.

Stein did a double-take. "What?" He examined the hand more closely. "Oh… this isn't good. Whoever tried to kill you is serious about it. That was a human weapon, one who can fire particularly powerful soul wavelength bursts. The reason it burns is because the weapon…" The meister frowned. "It seems the weapon is a Kishin egg, as is its meister."

Kid nodded and bit his lip. It really hurt, but not nearly as bad as being stabbed through the chest.

Liz and Patty were on either side of him, looking really worried. The young reaper saw their expressions and felt the urge to laugh. "It's not that bad," he said, amused.

The elder sister's head snapped back, blushing, but Patty just laughed like… Patty.

"Girls, you probably should go with Kid…" Stein started.

"Home?" Liz asked hopefully.

Stein frowned. "No. Too dangerous. Go to the Death Room. Explain to Lord Death what happened. Maka, I want you to help me find the sniper."

Maka nodded and Kid frowned. "I can help. I have soul perception too."

The professor shook his head. "No. We'll handle it. Go to your father and explain."

Kid looked ready to argue, but his weapons tugged on his arms and dragged him into the DWMA.

BlackStar jumped up. "I'm gonna help too!"

"But you don't have soul perception…" Maka started.

"No," Stein assured her. "He can come. We dealing with an assassin here, and BlackStar here would know more about them than us."

Inside the Death Room, Kid started to knock on the door but stopped when a flash of pain shot through his hands. Liz looked at him anxiously and opened the door. Kid managed not to gasp, but his face was scrunched up. Then he relaxed and strode through the door as confidently as possible. His father was waiting for them by his mirror.

"Hello Kiddo! Nice to-" He noticed the bandages on his son's hands and his tone dropped to a more serious level. "What happened?"

"We can explain, sir," Liz started. "Kid, Soul, Maka, and BlackStar were outside when a sniper shot at Kid. He sensed it at the last moment and pushed the others down, but the shot grazed his hands. We came running with Stein and Tsubaki and Stein wrapped Kid's hands when Kid said they were burning."

"Apparently I was shot at by a kishin egg weapon," Kid muttered, trying not to move his hands.

Lord Death was silent. Then, "So someone is trying to assassinate my son."

Liz and Patty looked at each other nervously. Kid sighed. "Dad, I can handle my-"

The young reaper dropped to his knees, holding his head. Whatever he'd sensed, his father noticed too, for the older reaper started and lifted his head to stare off into the distance.

"Dad…" Kid's voice was shaky. "Do you feel…"

"Yeah…" his father's voice was faraway. "An elder demon. This is bad."

Liz and Patty crouched beside Kid, lightly touching his arms with worried looks. "What's going on?"

Lord Death sighed. "An elder demon has awoken. I thought that with Asura gone we might have some peace, that the other monsters I hunted down and trapped in the Grim World have gone. But it seems not…" Then he focused on the sisters. "Go get Stein. Bring him here."

The Thompsons nodded, with quick glances at Kid, then run off. "Hey Patty, just to be safe…" Liz suggested. The younger sister nodded and with a flash of light Patty was holding her sister in gun form.

Lord Death knelt beside his son. "Kid, you need to strengthen your connection with the Grim World souls. Can you feel them?"

His son trembled but nodded, squeezing his eyes shut tight and concentrating. "The wavelengths of the dead…"

"… and the evil." Death finished.

"But why now?" Kid implored, opening his golden eyes. "And why _me?_"

His father shrugged. "You are the only Shinigami who can move freely. And more importantly, you're young, with unbelievable amounts of raw untapped power. And… easily corrupted."

Kid scowled. "Not THAT easily," he muttered mutinously.

Patty burst back into the room with Liz still in gun form, waving and yelling, "I brought Stein! And Maka and Soul and BlackStar and Tsubaki!"

Liz groaned in unison with Kid.

Stein skidded to a stop. "What is it?"

Lord Death eyed him. "It seems… we have an elder demon free from the Grim World. And he's been trying to assassinate my son."

Stein raised an eyebrow at Kid. "I see."

"What's the Grim World?" Maka asked curiously. Kid flinched and looked away.

"The Grim World," Lord Death sighed, "is where dead souls stay. We, the Shinigami, have access to the Grim World, allowing us to guide and retrieve souls from there. We can also trap souls. It is a dark place, full of ancient and evil magic. I am practiced in dealing with it, but right now is a critical time for Kid. He is nearing his full power as a Death God, but his lines of Sanzu are still unconnected."

Kid scowled again. "Dad… you're making me sound helpless. I can deal with the Grim World."

"Perhaps, but not as a seasoned Death God like I can." Death sighed for the umpteenth time. "Look, Kid, you're in a lot of danger. Far more danger than I was when I was your age."

The stubborn young reaper didn't reply.

"At any rate, I need your help in something, Stein," the Shinigami continued. "Finding the assassin is of utmost importance, but even more so his master. If I can figure out who exactly is hunting Kid I can influence things through the Grim World to help recapture this demon."

Kid coughed. "One problem Dad…"

"Yes." The black-robed Death God continued gravely. "Only a Death God can seal away the soul of a demon, and seeing as how I cannot leave here, that task falls to Kid."

"But… isn't someone already trying to kill him? Going and _searching _for the assassin isn't really going to help," Soul interjected.

Patty frowned. "We'll kill that motherf***ing demon and all of his damn accomplices!"

Liz rested her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Patty, I think this is a little beyond us."

The younger Thompson pouted.

Lord Death scratched the bottom of his mask. "We need to get Kid back to Gallows Manor. Nobody can get in there without his or my permission, with the exception of Liz and Patty. It's safe."

"But…" Stein started. "Kid should probably have a guard."

"Hmm…" Lord Death agreed, while Kid groaned. "Dad-"

"It's official!" His father clapped his hands, ignoring the younger reaper's complaints. "Maka, Soul, BlackStar, Tsubaki, you're all invited to a slumber party at Kid's house!"

o.O.o

"You can sleep here," Kid pointed to an extra room across from Patty's. "And BlackStar and Tsubaki can sleep in here," he gestured to the empty guest bedroom across from his.

"Yahoo!" BlackStar yelled. "Good thing there are two beds."

Soul grumbled but set his small bag on the bed closest to the door.

"This will be fun!" Tsubaki said cheerfully, trying to brighten the mood. "I'll cook us some food."

"I'll help," Kid excused himself and led her downstairs to the kitchen. Soul, Maka, and BlackStar were shocked. "Kid can cook?"

Liz nodded. "He's actually pretty good, but he insists on making everything symmetrical and perfect."

The others snorted.

There was a small bird call, making everybody's head snap around. Sitting on the open windowsill was a sleek black bird, resembling a crow but smaller. It flapped it's wings a few times and landed on Patty's shoulder, who stroked its' feathers, then flew downstairs where Kid had gone.

"What was-" BlackStar started.

"The bird?" Liz asked wryly. "Don't ask. That's just another quirk living with Kid – all sorts of creatures that are commonly associated with death are drawn to him like magnets. Black cats, crows, sometimes black dogs that look kind of like the Grim."

Soul and Maka exchanged a look, then shrugged.

Later, after a dinner of perfectly mashed potatoes and evenly sliced chicken, everybody changed into their pajamas. Then they came back downstairs for ice cream.

Kid was dressed in a simple loose black t-shirt with his father's skull symbol on it, and matching black fleece pants with perfectly symmetrical skulls around the bottoms. He went barefoot, apparently not affected by cold.

Maka was wearing a matching pink fleece top and bottom, with yellow flowers on it, Soul had a regular t-shirt and shorts, BlackStar had black shorts and a blue tanktop with stars on it, Tsubaki had a long white and gray flowery nightgown, and Liz and Patty had matching red t-shirts and white shorts.

Once they'd finished their ice cream, Patty yawned and dragged Liz upstairs yelling "'NIGHT!"

BlackStar yawned and motioned to Tsubaki. "Guess we'll hit the sack too."

Soul and Maka took the hint and headed upstairs, followed closely by Kid. Soul flopped on his bed, but Maka lingered in the doorway, casting a worried glance at the young reaper as he padded silently into his bedroom and closed the door.

Hours later, BlackStar woke up and felt the urge to get a midnight snack. Slipping downstairs, he opened the fridge and grabbed a small package of cookies. Munching on one, he stood in the dark when suddenly he felt a small shiver run up his back. Spinning around and setting the cookies down on the counter, he settled into a small crouch, straining to see in the complete blackness.

Another chill struck his spine, and he narrowed his eyes and moved his head slowly around when…

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Soul bolted awake, followed by Liz, Maka, Patty, and Tsubaki. "That sounded like BlackStar!" the blue-haired meister's weapon fretted.

Everybody rushed downstairs to find BlackStar on the floor staring wide-eyed at a bemused Kid. "What was that about?" the reaper asked, trying not to laugh.

"What- what the hell were _you _doing?" BlackStar yelled.

Kid shrugged. "It's my house. I came downstairs to sit in the dark."

"Sheesh, emo much?" Soul grumbled, earning him a Maka Chop.

"Hahahahaha!" Patty giggled. Liz rolled her eyes. "Kid, did you do that weird thing where you turn invisible in the dark and then make no sound until you're like an inch away from some poor unsuspecting soul?"

"So what if I did?" Kid challenged her. "Like I said, it's my house."

BlackStar shivered. "But that was just creepy! It felt like that feeling you get when someone walks on your grave when you're still alive…"

Kid gave him a weird look. "Um… I kind of did."

"WHAT?" the meister yelped, jumping away from the spot he had just sat and staring at it apprehensively.

Kid stifled more laughter. "Grim Reaper, remember? I have that effect on people apparently. The first time I did it to Liz she nearly died of fright."

Liz grumbled and shot her meister _the look._

Everybody laughed and went back to bed, with BlackStar still traumatized and Soul still nursing the dent in his head.

Outside, the sniper perched in a tree. A small black bird flew by and without a word the sniper threw a small dagger at it. A small squawk and an explosion of feathers later, and the bird fell to the ground, dead.

A small black symbol of the dead, perishing.

The sniper smiled cruelly. _Soon there will be more than one._

If you didn't understand what the sniper meant, think on it. Anybody who figures it out gets a free hug! :3

Kid: XD I love being emo…

Me: o.O *watches from shadows*

Kid: ^.^' uh… hello?

Me: *scary ghost voice* hello Kid… I have come to kill you

Kid: o.O

~DeaththeKidKat


	4. Chapter 4: Failure

Did anybody guess what the sniper was talking about o.O?

XD

Soul woke up on the floor. _What the… _he sprang upright. _This isn't our apartment. _Maka was sound asleep in the uniform black and white skull patterned bed next to him.

Then he remembered they were sleeping at Kid's mansion. Speaking of which, where was the OCD reaper?

Walking quietly out of his room, Soul glanced briefly at his watch. It was 7:49 in the morning. He looked up and down the hallway, then peered inside the room next to his – BlackStar and Tsubaki's room. Both were sound asleep in identical beds. All the rooms were perfectly ordered thanks to Kid's strange symmetry habits.

The scythe checked on Liz and Patty's respective rooms before silently opening the door to Kid's.

The room was even more symmetrical than the others, if that was possible. There was two of everything, except of course the bed and the reaper himself. Kid looked so much more peaceful in his sleep.

Soul smiled and padded out quietly. Now it was 7:54.

BlackStar woke up slowly. _Why… oh yeah. _He ran quietly out of his room and nearly smashed into Soul, who was standing in the hallway looking at his watch.

"The hell?" BlackStar hissed. Soul put a finger to his lips and went downstairs. The blue-haired meister followed. Together they sat on the couch. BlackStar stretched and Soul yawned.

"This place is freaky clean," Soul commented, still keeping his voice quiet.

BlackStar nodded and opened his mouth to talk when an earsplitting yell made them jump.

"**WAKE UP!"**

This was followed by a crash and another yell. "DAMNIT PATTY, I TOLD YOU NOT TO WAKE ME LIKE THAT!"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP! WHAT TIME IS IT ANYWAYS?"

"EIGHT O'CLOCK EXACTLY, SIS! DIDN'T YOU WANT TO WAKE UP NOW KID?"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO **JUMP ON ME!"**

Maka and Tsubaki came running downstairs like harried rabbits. "Seriously?" Maka muttered, covering her ears and glaring up the stairs.

Soul glanced at his watch again. 8:00 exactly. He grinned.

Patty came zooming down the staircase, followed by a disgruntled Liz and a wincing Kid. Apparently he'd hit his hands against something and found it very painful to move them.

Tsubaki shook her head in dismay and moved over to check on Kid's hands. Slowly unwrapping them, she looked at the cuts with a frown. "Do you have any antibiotic salve?" she asked the Thompsons gently.

Liz yawned and plodded over to the bathroom, fetching a small tube of cream. She handed it to Tsubaki and started to get out the pancake batter.

Tsubaki gently squirted antibiotic on Kid's cuts then re-bandaged them. The reaper gasped and flinched a few times, but mostly kept quiet.

"Who knew you were any good at first aid," Liz commented, looking over Tsubaki's shoulder as she tied the second strip of bandage closed. She had thoughtfully done little bows in the exact middle of the backs of Kid's hands, so that they'd be symmetrical. The reaper admired her handiwork appreciatively, then moved to the kitchen to begin the painstaking process of measuring every scoop of batter onto the skillet into perfect circles.

Tsubaki blushed lightly. "Nygus taught me some stuff," she said softly.

After a breakfast of perfectly symmetrical pancakes, they went upstairs to get dressed. Everyone wore their everyday attire – Soul his leather jacket, orange shirt, and pants, Maka her vest, tie, and skirt, Tsubaki her yellow dress, BlackStar his black and white baggy outfit, and Liz and Patty their short shirts, jeans/shorts, and hats. But Kid didn't wear his usual suit – he'd simply put on a perfectly ironed white dress shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes.

Liz and Patty raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Together they trudged up to the Academy, most of them chattering excitedly except for Kid and Soul.

The sniper watched carefully from a row of buildings nearby. This time the reaper brat wouldn't sense him – his master had put a special spell on him to hide him from both the young one and Lord Death up at the accursed school.

What the sniper didn't count on was other people's soul perception.

Maka sensed a strange soul in the area and frowned, slowing down. "Hey Kid… do you feel that?"

The reaper gave her a weird look. "Feel what?"

"That soul…" she answered, closing her eyes halfway and reaching out with her soul perception. It felt like… _the soul of the sniper that had shot Kid!_

"It's the sniper!" Maka said in a hoarse whisper. Kid's eyes widened, but he said, "Act normal. He's probably watching."

The scythe meister nodded, and they sped up to catch up with their friends.

Kid was trying to feel the strange soul, but couldn't grasp it. "He's hidden himself from me," he said, starting to panic a little. How could he dodge a bullet if he couldn't feel the direction it was coming from?

Maka touched his shoulder and made a face. "I wonder if I can somehow transmit the feeling to you… it's hard because we're both meisters." She tried, and suddenly felt the reaper jerk under her fingertips.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes snapping fully open. Kid was taking in shuddering breaths, holding his head with wide eyes.

The sniper frowned. _What did that girl just do…?_

His weapon made a 'tch' sound. "Great. Now he's wigging out."

"Quiet, Les." The sniper strained to make out what was going on.

"Um… Garn…" Les started.

"_Quiet!_" he hissed. Les shut up.

Down on the street, Kid quivered. _What was… that wavelength… a wavelength of that magnitude? Impossible! But, it was indirect. That sniper, a meister no doubt, must have a spell on him cast by this strange soul. But I KNOW that soul. It feels like…_

_DAD?_

Maka was shaking his shoulder. "Kid, are you okay?" By now the others had realized something was up and hurried back. Liz peered into Kid's eyes.

"Kid?" Patty asked, a trace of anxiety in her tone.

BlackStar frowned and Tsubaki put her hand over her mouth.

"Shut up!" Kid gasped. "Just shut up for a second!" The others wisely closed their mouths.

_I'm trying to pinpoint it. Where… where… THERE!_

But he was too late. The small movement he'd been able to make only moved the shot half a foot to the left. Right through his shoulder. Had he not moved, it would have pierced his heart instead.

o.O.o

"Kid?" The voice was muffled and far away. "Kid, are you awake?"

With a strangled cry, the reaper's eyes snapped open and he tried to bolt up, but the immense lightning bolt of burning agony that lanced through his shoulder made him yell again and fall back against his pillow.

"Kid!" This time he could make out a face through one eye, open and watering with pain.

It was Liz, standing over him. The young reaper gave a shuddering exhale. "L-Liz?"

"Thank goodness," she sighed, stepping back to reveal Patty, Maka, BlackStar, their weapons, Stein, Spirit, and…

"Dad!" Kid called gratefully. He tried to move again but the pain was too much.

"Hey, now, Kiddo. Relax," his father said quickly and rested a gigantic white hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently back down.

Kid closed his eyes. "Wh-wha' happened?"

"The sniper tried again," Stein explained, leaning against the hospital wall and blowing out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "You seemed to react at the last second. Lucky you moved left – just a little off would have put that shot through your heart."

Kid groaned. "And so I'm…"

"… back in the hospital," Patty grinned, trying to laugh but failing.

o.O.o

"I'm sorry Master!" Garn cried, throwing himself to his knees. Les followed. "I missed again."

_Hmm… yes. _The melodic voice contemplated a moment. _That makes twice._

Garn tried to keep himself from whimpering. "I don't know what went wrong sir, we were totally hidden from his soul perception," Les complained. "Your spell worked perfectly."

_It wasn't him._ Garn and his weapon looked up in surprise. _It seems I underestimated the soul perception abilities of that other annoying girl… Maka is it? No matter, she is easily dealt with. Next time your mission is twofold – shoot the reaper and this soul-seeing prodigy girl. I do not like being thwarted. And she has thwarted me._

"M-Master?" Garn stammered.

The strange whisper laughed softly, a creepy sound that echoed throughout the cave. _Do not fret, Garn. I still have need of you and your rifle yet._ Garn and Les sighed inwardly in relief. _The fault of this failed attempt goes to me. But this time I will make no mistakes. Which means if you fail again… it will be entirely __**your **__fault._

The voice grew menacing.

_And I have no use for servants who fail me._

o.O.o

Kid cursed. "I'm beginning to hate that hospital."

Liz laughed. "You've certainly ended up in there pretty often the last few months."

"I'm gonna kill that sniper," Kid muttered.

BlackStar laughed like… BlackStar. "No way! The great BlackStar will be the first to slay the evil assassin! Assassin vs. assassin… which will win?"

He listened expectantly for their answer. None was forthcoming. With an exasperated snort, he yelled, "The great assassin BLACKSTAR of course!"

Tsubaki moaned. "Yes, BlackStar, but don't you think you should keep it down? We don't want the sni-assassin to come and try and hurt Kid again do we?"

"HA! LET HIM COME! **THE MIGHTY BLACKSTAR WILL TEAR HIM APART!**"

"BLACKSTAR BE **QUIET!**"

BlackStar was actually shocked into silence. It was Soul who yelled. He uncovered his ears and glared at his friend. "Seriously dude."

Maka rolled her eyes and delivered a Maka Chop to BlackStar.

Kid groaned and sped up, but his friends kept pace. Now they moved in a protective shell around Kid, Maka with her soul perception on full blast, able to pick up the slightest signal from a strange soul like the sniper's.

Kid hadn't agreed with the odd formation of walking, but his father, Spirit, and Stein had insisted. And before the young death god could bribe his friends into disobeying Stein had informed Maka she would receive a C plus in his class if she didn't. Soon Maka was murderously glaring at BlackStar, Soul, and especially Kid, with a hefty dictionary in hand, daring them to disagree.

The Thompsons took it a lot better than he had – it basically meant a perpetual sleepover until the sniper was killed.

Patty was ecstatic. She'd ordered a gigantic stuffed giraffe for all of them – although she had shown a rare streak of thoughtfulness in ordering two black and white spotted ones for Kid that he could place on either side of his bed.

Liz was busy buying thousands of groceries and even a new refrigerator to hold it all so nobody would have to leave the house. She did allow Kid to oversee most of the cooking, making sure that everything was evenly cut. But everybody seemed keen to confine Kid completely to the mansion. Lord Death had allowed them to take the next month or so off of school, so that they could guard Kid 24/7. It had started to drive the already OCD reaper mad.

o.O.o

Deep in the misty forest, in a dark cave, the strange purple and black cloud of evil wreathed around a small crystal ball. The voice laughed and talked to itself as it watched many things in the clear surface of the quartz.

_Prepare yourself young reaper, for I am coming for you._

Me: _I am the mysterious voice…_

Kid: o.O'

Me: *evil grin* _I will send my simpleminded sniper after you to attempt to kill you for the third time!_

Kid: -.- good luck with that

Patty: IT'S 8:00! **WAKE UP KID!**

Kid: FOR SHINIGAMI'S SAKE PATTY! I'M ALREADY AWAKE!

Me: isn't it a little redundant to swear with the name of your own species?

Kid: T.T :P

Me: REVIEW OR I WILL SET MY RABID GIRAFFES AFTER YOU! o\/o

~DeaththeKidKat


	5. Chapter 5: Capture

For people who reviewed: THANK YOU! *huggles*

VilaDeath: not exactly, it's the voice of a disembodied soul o.O

Just-Me-and-My-Brain: almost :) it means soon there would be more than one dead symbol of death. Guess who else is a symbol of death? O.o and yes the rabid giraffes will eat you! Or not, because you reviewed… hmm… *thinks* oh well. And yes I update fast because I have way too much free time XD

Anyways here is the NEXT CHAPTER! *trumpet music*

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kid grumbled as he carefully arranged his pillows into order. _Damn my father. Why do I have to stay in this mansion for months? I can handle the sniper on my own._

Soul came in, knocking on the door frame. "Lunch is ready."

The young reaper just nodded and waved him away. _Great. Knowing Liz, the slices of turkey on the bread will be unevenly sliced. _But for once in his life Kid couldn't bring himself to really care about symmetry. His mind was focused elsewhere…

"_Dad! Why can't I leave the mansion? You know I can handle this sniper," Kid demanded._

_Lord Death was silent. "Kid…"_

"_No." His son turned away from the mirror angrily. He glared around his bedroom and felt the urge to scream. He vented his anger instead by unleashing a stormcloud of black and purple energy around him, throwing his room into chaos. It looked like a tornado had hit it… which was technically true. The young reaper was by now beyond frustration._

_The elder Shinigami couldn't do anything to ease his burden as he watched through a mirror his only child's turned back and unleashed emotions. "Kid, we will find this demon. Only once you've connected all three lines of Sanzu will this battle be won. There's no way I will let you hunt down an extremely dangerous enemy in your current state." He gestured at the bandages still wrapping around Kid's chest. The young reaper found it more convenient to go without a shirt most of the time, since Liz and Tsubaki insisted on checking him every time he set foot outside his bedroom._

_But Kid wouldn't listen. Waving his hand, the stormcloud stopped, and the mirror went blank. Then he sat on his bed and held his head in his hands, breathing heavily._

_And then he sat to work repairing his room._

That was how Soul found him, carefully making his bed, which looked like a peaceful island in a raging sea of storms. The rest of his room was still in shambles.

The scythe's eyes widened. "Uh, something happen…?"

Kid let out a heavy breath and whirled around. "Nothing happened! Now you can run downstairs and tell Liz I'm not eating. I don't need it anyway," he snapped. Soul was taken aback by the look in his friend's eyes. The golden orbs were alight with anger and a strange power. The crackles of black lightning came back and threatened to send the room into a tempest once more.

Knowing nothing he said would help, Soul ducked his head and left. Then he went downstairs and relayed what had happened to the others. Maka's eyes widened and BlackStar glanced upwards warily.

"Has he… calmed down?" Liz asked, trying to sound calm but failing miserably. Her eyes were full of worry.

Soul shook his head, still apprehensive to go upstairs and face the angry young death god again.

Together, all of them went back up to Kid's room and silently opened the door.

The room was still a mess, aside from the neat bed, but a window was hanging open.

And Kid was gone.

o.O.o

"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Soul cursed, as they looked up and down another street. "Maka, can't you look for his soul?"

Maka started. "Uh, right." She focused and had only looked for a second when she gasped and staggered back. Her partner was instantly at her side, looking on anxiously. She shook her head. "I'm fine. But Kid certainly isn't."

They followed the scythe meister as she ran down a series of streets and finally stopped in an open balcony a few hundred feet square.

In the middle sat Kid, hunched over in a crouch, his head in his hands. It was clear he was crying. But even worse was that the stormcloud of energy had reappeared and was circling quickly around him, snapping with powerful energy. And yet Maka could sense… it was as if there was something missing from the storm. A level of energy that she had only seen once before, in Lord Death.

BlackStar began to hurry forward when there was a flash of green. The sniper had come out of nowhere and shot at Maka, who had been pulled aside by Soul in the nick of time. Then the sniper grinned at the crying young reaper and yanked a small stone out of his pocket. Kid lifted his head to see the strange man coming at him.

The death god's golden eyes widened and he started to scramble to his feet when the sniper darted forward and pressed the stone against his chest, right where his collarbones met. Those golden eyes widened further then rolled up in their owner's head, the lids closing as Kid collapsed in a heap.

Still grinning evilly, the sniper grabbed Kid and hoisted him none too carefully over his shoulder. Saluting the other students, he grabbed a small knife and slashed it across thin air, opening some kind of portal, stepped through and was gone.

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Shibusen students jumped as they saw a streak of black and white which materialized into the form of Lord Death, kneeling where his son had just lain.

Kid's teammates could only stand there in shock as the death god poured golden energy forth into the air around him and Death City, causing real clouds to form in the sky above and rain heavily.

They stood in the rain and could only wonder what fate awaited Death the Kid.

o.O.o

Kid woke slowly. _What… _Then he remembered the sniper, his friends, and tried to jump forward. Chains around his wrists yanked him back brutally and he smashed against a wall. The impact knocked the breath from him and he stood there trying to breathe when the sniper came in still holding his rifle.

"Hey there Shinigami. Welcome to our humble abode. My name is Garn and this is Les." He nodded to the rifle, who transformed in a flash of light to the form of a woman of middling height.

Garn had a shock of bright green hair and cruel narrowed brown eyes. He was stocky and buff, but had a certain air of speed to him. Les had jet-black hair with streaks of blonde, dark skin, and calculating icy blue eyes.

Kid stared at them with contempt. "You think you can hold me here?"

Garn grinned widely. "Of course. Try summoning your father."

Kid narrowed his eyes and waved his hands in a few motions. A flicker of a purple skull appeared on the ground then disappeared, and the reaper sagged.

"Wh-what… was that?" he coughed, surprised at the sudden rush of strength leaving his body.

Les snickered. "Those chains are magical. Any spell or power you attempt to use will cost you ten times the strength. You'd need to be a full death god to withstand the strength drain, and seeing as you're not…" she gave him an innocent smile, "… you're stuck."

Breathing heavily, Kid began to lose hope. There was no way his father could know where he was. Judging by the hum of power in the air, he guessed they were in a magical cave, some sort of limbo between reality and the Grim World.

Then a ghostly purple mist drifted in through the doorway to Kid's cell and condensed into the form of a pale young man with white hair and pure black eyes. _Hello young reaper…_

Kid started when he heard the voice in his head. Trembling slightly, he tried to shake himself like a dog shaking off water when the ghost's smile widened.

_Poor little thing. _He drifted closer and reached out to touch Kid's face. The young reaper jerked away. _Don't want to be touched? Fine, we'll do this the hard way. _The ghost stabbed his hand… _through _Kid's leg. Letting out a howl, the reaper threw back his head as a large gash appeared on his thigh.

_That's better. Now you can listen to me. _Leaving the poor boy gasping and shaking, the ghost floated backwards a bit. _I am a very ancient demon, although I'm sure you knew that already. _When Kid wouldn't answer, the demon scowled. _**Forward. **_Kid's chains were yanked forward so he was in the middle of the room. Hovering behind him, the demon ghost slashed his hand across Kid's back, slicing through the dirty bandages already there. Kid hadn't been wearing a shirt when he ran out of Gallows Mansion, when he was captured, just the bandages for his earlier wound.

Letting out a hiss of pain, Kid bit his lip to keep from making any sound. _Still don't feel like talking? Too bad. _Again with the slash. And again. And again.

Kid couldn't help it and let out a small cry as his eyes filled with tears. The demon moved around in front of him again and smiled cruelly. _Let us try again. I am an ancient demon… known as Zindyll._

o.O.o

Maka let a tear drop down her face as they stood in front of Lord Death in the Death Room. The reaper had just told them the entire story, starting with the demon Zindyll and ending with why he truly needed Kid.

"You see, Zindyll does not have a body, only a ghostly soul. The only way to get enough power to regain his body is a terrible one," Lord Death was explaining. "You see, for a weapon to become a death scythe they must consume ninety-nine kishin egg souls and one witch soul. For a demon to be created or revived, they must either cast a spell or consume ninety-nine _witch _souls and one other soul…

… the soul of a Shinigami."

"That's terrible," Tsubaki whispered.

BlackStar was silent, Soul slightly fuming.

Stein sighed. "I'm afraid there's not much we can do. Now that Kid's out of our reach, we need to come up with some way to find him."

Maka lifted her head. "I could try and use my soul perception…"

"No, that wouldn't work," Lord Death said tiredly. "Zindyll has his lair in a sort of inbetween space, a place between here and the Grim World. The only way in – or out – is by being invited or with a special wave… length… of course!"

Stein and Spirit raised an eyebrow. The Shinigami said excitedly, "Only an anti-magic wavelength can open the portal. But first we need to find the point of entry."

Soul groaned. "But that point could be anywhere in the world!"

Death shook his head. "No, there are only a few places where the, shall we say, skin of this world is thin enough to reach through to this inbetween world. We, the death gods, are able to reach through it anywhere, but every weak spot will lead to a certain power in the inbetween world. Only one spot truly leads to Zindyll's lair."

"Well, where are these weak spots?" Spirit asked tersely.

"Hmm…" Lord Death scratched the bottom of his mask. "Siberia, Chili, California, Germany, and Australia."

BlackStar sighed. "Those will take forever to search. Besides, Maka is the only one with an anti-magic wavelength here."

"No…" Spirit said slowly. A glance passed between him and Maka.

Maka rolled her eyes. "She's not gonna like it."

Stein grinned as he realized who they were talking about.

"Who?" Soul asked.

His meister sighed. "My mother..."

"… Kami," Spirit finished.

o.O.o

TWO WEEKS LATER

"Maka!" A woman with coffee-colored hair pulled back into a ponytail and warm chocolate eyes embraced her daughter. She was about the same height as Spirit – whom she happened to notice at that moment.

"Hello, Spirit," Kami said icily.

"H-hey Kami," he answered weakly.

Soul raised an eyebrow at the meek exchange then cowered a little when Maka's intimidating mother came stalking up to him. "Soul Eater Evans?"

"Er… yes, ma'am?" Soul muttered, trying to avoid her gaze, and nearly choked when she hugged him tightly. "I've heard much about what you and Maka achieved together. Congratulations. I assume you are a perfectly _fine _young man who has _manners_?"

The scythe quivered a little but exhaled in relief when Maka stepped between them. "He's the coolest partner ever, Mama. You don't have to worry." Then she winked at a terrified Soul before stepping away.

Kami smiled. "Good. Now, why exactly did you call me here from Quebec?"

This time she directed her words at Lord Death. He didn't add any funny or jovial remarks about Spirit's family, but was dead serious. Maka's skin prickled when he spoke in his deep voice from the old ages. "We need your anti-magic wavelength."

Kami frowned. "I believe my daughter can perform this as well? Why me?"

"Because we have a large amount of places to search in a short amount of time," Stein answered, puffing out a skull-shaped cloud of smoke. "Siberia, Chili, California, Germany, and Australia, correct?" Lord Death nodded.

"And we're searching them for _what _and _why_?"

Lord Death turned away to face his mirror. "My son. Death the Kid," he managed.

Maka's mother staggered a little. "He's- gone missing?"

Maka herself sagged. "It's my fault. We were supposed to be watching him," she said miserably.

Kami rounded on her, furious. _"What?"_

"Kid was being hunted by a strange sniper. He'd been shot across his hands and then in the right shoulder, but on the third attempt the sniper simply pressed a magic stone to his forehead, causing him to collapse, opened a portal, and disappeared," Spirit explained.

His ex-wife was still breathing hard, then she hung her head. "Not Kid…" she said sadly.

Soul frowned. "You know Kid?"

"No." Lord Death didn't turn from his mirror, and all of them could hear the incredible sadness in his voice. "She knew his mother."

o.O.o

Kid moaned softly. After introducing himself, Zindyll had left, taking Garn and Les with him. He had no choice but to hang there and try and ignore the throbbing in his leg and back. _Ahh… it hurts…_ Then he scolded himself. _Coward. Would Dad have given up from a tiny amount of pain? When he took that blast from Asura, that was your fault too. This is definitely a mistake on your fault. Idiot, running off like that was obviously never going to help._ Silently berating himself, Kid hung limply.

_All I can do is hope my friends will find me._

o.O.o

Kid's teammates staggered visibly. "K-Kid has a _mother?_" BlackStar gasped.

Liz and Patty had just entered. "He _WHAT?_"

"Slow down!" Spirit raised his hands. "Of course he has a mother," he added, exasperated, with a pointed look at BlackStar.

Soul frowned. "Then how come we never heard of her before?"

"Kid-" Lord Death choked on the name, then sighed. "Kid doesn't talk about it. Especially not with me."

"I'd have thought he would tell his partners…" Stein mused, gazing over his glasses at the Thompsons. They shook their heads.

"Kid never told us about his mom," Patty said sadly. "We kind of assumed she was, well, dead or maybe he didn't even have one. Because he's like, a reaper and all."

Kami interjected venomously. "Well, he had a mother, and she died."

"Mama…" Maka started nervously. "Uh, how did you know her? What was she like?"

A tear slipped from Kami's eye. "Her name was Sakina. She was beautiful, with Kid's hair and skin. They have the same build. And she loved her son more than anything."

She choked up, and they noticed a similar sound from Lord Death. Then the scythe meister continued. "She loved to laugh, but was usually a bit shy. She was… a lot more formal than her husband." Kami shot a look at Lord Death. "I suppose that's where Kid gets it. But he gets his eyes and his skills from his father. Sakina didn't use a weapon, she was a master – much like BlackStar, in fact – at channeling her wavelength directly. She was also a Grim Reaper."

Jaws gaped. "There are more than just the two of you?" Tsubaki asked incredulously of Lord Death. He nodded slightly.

"Sakina was 8 months pregnant with Kid when she and Lord Death had an identical dream – petals, crows, blood, and a baby's cry. She was my best friend in those days, we did everything together, even though she was a few hundred years older than I was. Her Sanzu lines were fully connected and everything was going well… until that dream. She knew, as did Lord Death, that she wouldn't survive Kid's birth. A month later she gave birth, but had lost far too much blood, too much for even a reaper to survive. The last thing Sakina ever said, to both of us, was 'take care of my little Kid.' And then she died."

Everyone was silent after the story. "So that's why Kid never talks about it," Liz said softly.

"And I named the boy Death the Kid after her final wish," Lord Death added quietly.

Stein adjusted his glasses. "As for why we need your wavelength, Kami…" He explained the whole story, about Zindyll and the weak spots, the portals and the inbetween world.

She nodded. "Sign me up."

o.O.o

_So little reaper… _Kid was jolted awake by the sound of Zindyll's disembodied voice. _It seems your father is growing desperate. Although I must admit he remembered an awful lot more than I expected, for one so __**old**__. _The tone grew mocking on the last word.

Kid spat out a small bit of blood. "Don't insult my father," he snarled.

_Insult? Of course not! _Zindyll said sarcastically. _I'm merely implying. But back to what I first said – you should take a look at this._

He projected some sort of screen in front of Kid. On it, he saw his father instructing Maka, BlackStar, Ox, Killik, Kim, their weapons, Liz and Patty, Stein, Marie, Spirit, and… could it be? _Kami?_ The reaper gasped, forgetting to keep himself quiet.

Zindyll laughed. _So you do know her. Care to tell me?_ Kid refused to speak.

So the demon lashed his back again and again until Kid was crying silently in agony. _Still stubborn? Well, I suppose I'll have to come back tomorrow. I'll leave the screen here though, so you can watch your friends running around in vain._

Death the Kid hung there, unable to let his friends know that he would be watching every attempt they made to find him the entire way, unable to cry out for help. He could watch as every moment they wasted on searching places he would _know_ they were in the wrong place but unable to tell them so.

He could watch as they prepared themselves for a trap that would ultimately end in his death.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

BUMBUMBUMBUUUUUUUMMMMMM! Now what? Well, you'll have to read and see… *evil grin*

Me: hehehehe… Kid I am coommminnnggg foorrr yyooouuu!

Kid: owwwwww…

Me: mwahahaha you're gonna be forced to watch everything! I LOVE BEING EVIL!

Soul: o.O wtf? One minute we're talking about saving Kid, next thing I know I'm getting a hug from Maka's MOM whom I've never even _heard of _before, and learning that she knew Kid's mom – hell, that he even had a mom! – and wwwhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt? I'm so confused! -.-'

Me: And so you shall stay… ^.^

~DeaththeKidKat


	6. Chapter 6: Search

Ladidah… :3 man the last chapter was so long! *faints* maybe this one will be as long… maybe… -.-

Just-Me-and-My-Brain: wow… :3 thank you! ^.^ I wasn't too sure many people would like this, but so far I'm HAPPY! And I'll be sure to check out your story when I have the time :)

Corian: YEESSSSSS! SOMEBODY GOT IT! *tackle-hugs* wait! I mean, *glomps* and now… you may have a pet giraffe! *hands giraffe* don't worry, it's not rabid.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kami sighed. _Where am I supposed to find this weak link? I can't very well go around swinging Genie Hunter. Oh right… that reminds me…_

She turned to Spirit and gave him a glare. He pretended not to notice but wilted a little. "It seems I'll require a weapon for this mission," she said reluctantly.

Spirit nodded hesitantly. "Yeah…"

"I suppose I'm stuck with you. Pity." Then she stalked off, ending the conversation effectively.

Her ex-husband sighed in relief. _Thank Shinigami I got that over with…_

Stein laughed evilly. "Fu fu fu. Never did like Kami. After all, she ended my greatest experiment of all time…" He gazed thoughtfully at his partner. Spirit got the awful feeling the crazy professor was referring to him.

The trio was currently in Australia, searching for the weak spot to look for Kid. Stein focused for a minute and looked up with a frown. "It should be over here somewhere…"

They headed over to a seemingly innocent sand-blasted tree in the middle of freaking nowhere. Kami frowned at it. "This is it?" Stein nodded and the meister sighed. She glared briefly at Spirit but calmed herself and tried to think of happy times, their daughter. They wouldn't be able to resonate if she was mad at him.

"**Let's go, Soul Resonance!" **they yelled in unison once Spirit had changed into a scythe. It worked, whatever their feelings had once been, and Spirit's blade glowed and expanded into a slightly more bluish version of Maka's Genie Hunter, along with a cross in the middle in place of an eye.

Kami swung the blade down easily, her skills coming back to her, and... opened a gash in the air itself. She let out a little gasp and Genie Hunter shrunk to a normal scythe blade again. The meister stepped through the portal, followed by Stein. They gazed around, stunned.

"This is a little creepy…" Spirit commented.

Around them was a strange, distorted world. It was full of gray clouds, red shadows, and strange beings lurking in the mist. Stein closed his eyes and focused his soul perception. "No… nothing," he sighed. "Kid isn't here."

With a very disappointed Kami trailing him, Stein stepped back through the portal and whipped out a cellphone. "We should tell Maka and the other group."

o.O.o

"Your cellphone's ringing," Soul poked his meister, who jumped and fumbled around in her pocket before pulling out the vibrating phone.

She looked at the caller ID. "It's Stein! Maybe they've found him!" Maka hit answer and listened. "Hello, Professor? Is that you?"

"Yep," Stein replied.

"Have you found Kid?"

The stitch-faced meister exhaled slowly. "No. We'll head on to Siberia."

"Oh. Okay." The disappointment in the student's voice was clear, but she ended the call and slipped the phone back in her pocket.

"Well?" BlackStar asked, coming out from the small info center with Tsubaki close behind. Maka shook her head.

Soul cursed. "It's gonna take forever to find him!"

"Nevermind that, where's this weak point we're looking for?" BlackStar continued tersely.

Maka focused for a minute. "I can feel a kind of powerful aura in the area. It's somewhere in this town." She walked around with the others before pinpointing a small pond near the outskirts. "This is it."

The blue-haired assassin stared at it. "A pond?"

"Yes," his fellow meister replied irritably. She motioned to Soul, who transformed into a scythe.

"**Let's go, Soul Resonance!"**__Her partner's blade extended to the familiar Genie Hunter, then she made a slashing motion across the pond. A tear opened up, and she jumped in, BlackStar right on her heels.

They landed heavily in a strange, murky gray bog. There were knotted and twisted trees with clouds of mist and shadows lurking everywhere. Together the two pairs worked their way through the bog, Maka still with Genie Hunter and Tsubaki in Enchanted Sword mode.

Opening her eyes the world of souls, the young meister looked around. _Somewhere… he's gotta be around here somewhere…_ But there was no sign that their teammate was anywhere in this foggy hell.

"He's not here," Maka sighed, disappointed. BlackStar gave an annoyed grunt and they started to head back to the glowing rip in the veil of mists when a loud roar sounded in front of him and a mysterious monster slithered in front of them.

It was easily ten feet tall, and resembled some sort of overgrown lizard with a spiky tail and fierce red eyes.

"Damn," BlackStar muttered. He dropped back and raised an eyebrow at Maka.

She nodded. **"Chain Resonance."**

Their souls connected, the teammates worked together. BlackStar wrapped a dozen shadows, which were easy to find in the strange inbetween world, around the creature to bind it while Maka made it disappear with a single swipe of Genie Hunter. The lizard vaporized into a glowing red soul.

"You take it Soul," BlackStar waved to his friend as he jumped out the portal. Soul grabbed the lizard's floating red remains and followed his friend out. Maka hesitated a moment before following the scythe.

Once outside, they landed next to the pond and Soul slurped the kishin egg down quickly. [quick A/N: it seems a little redundant to say Soul ate the soul, so I have to find other nouns – urgh]

They waited once in town for Maka to report back to Stein again, and then they continued to the airport to catch the flight to their next destination – Hamburg, Germany.

o.O.o

"Ahh, Siberia," Stein commented.

"Isn't it supposed to be 'ahh, Venice?'" Spirit questioned, bored. They were dressed in parkas and snow pants, which barely helped against the biting wind.

Kami ignored the two and concentrated. They were in a tiny town, once again in the middle of freaking nowhere, looking for another weak spot. She quickly found it, a frozen fountain in the town square.

"**Let's go, Soul Resonance!" **she and Spirit conjured up Genie Hunter again and once again opened a portal. Entering the inbetween world easily, this time Kami kept Genie Hunter going as they journeyed around. She and Stein looked all around with their advanced soul perception, but caught no wind of the heir to the Reaper throne.

"Still no luck," Stein grumbled. They were starting to walk back to the portal when a monster, surprisingly similar to the one the other team had encountered got in their way. Stein destroyed it with a quick Soul Menace. "Pity, that would have been interesting to dissect," he commented.

Kami rolled her eyes and grabbed the soul as she passed by.

On their way back they encountered several more of the monsters. All of them were easily defeated by Stein and, on occasion, Kami. The screw-headed meister was becoming more and more dejected as Kami and Spirit rejected every offer he gave to dissect or even just keep the souls. "Not even one?"

"No!" Spirit and Kami yelled in unison. Stein pouted but didn't object.

After another call to the other team they boarded a plane headed to Hamburg. They had decided to meet up with Maka, BlackStar, and another death scythe that Lord Death had assigned to meet them.

o.O.o

"Urgh, it's cold," Maka complained. There was a slight breeze in Hamburg as they waited around a table outside a café.

Maka had studied a little German at one point so the rest of them relied on her to translate.

A waiter came out and gave them all paper menus. "Wir haben ein paar Mittagsessen specialtaeten, und Eis wenn du so moechstest."

BlackStar stared at him blankly and Maka quickly translated. "They have some lunch meals and ice cream."

Smiling widely, the assassin/ninja said enthusiastically, "Chocolate ice cream!"

"Schokoladen Eis…" the waiter wrote down quickly. Maka ordered mint ice cream (Mint Eis), Soul schnitzel and vanilla ice cream (a German dish – basically breaded chicken - and Vanilla Eis), and Tsubaki ordered Spaetzle (thick, small noodles about an inch long).

Then they saw Stein, Spirit, and Kami strolling up the street. Stein was still arguing about Siberia. "Come on, all I needed was just a tail off of one of them, or maybe a live one…"

"For the last time Stein, no! We're on a mission to find Kid, not satisfy your creepy habits!" Spirit countered.

The students understood instantly and rolled their eyes, being way too used to their crazy professor.

They seated themselves at the table and Kami sighed. "No luck on your end either?" The students shook their heads.

The waiter came back out with their meals, but the adults refused the offer of their own. They'd eaten on the plane.

A distraught yet familiar voice interrupted their discussion on the monsters they'd encountered. "Oh, no… I'm completely lost!"

Maka, BlackStar, Soul, and Tsubaki's heads snapped around. _"Miss Marie?"_

Stein grinned and laughed. "Fu fu fu."

Spirit rolled her eyes and Kami remained fixated on the table. The students, meanwhile, jumped up and ran over to the blonde who had been wandering around the city for the past hour. "Miss Marie, what are you doing here?" Maka asked.

"Lord Death sent me," she sighed, and sat down in between Stein and Tsubaki.

They started talking somberly about their mission and the three failures so far to find Kid.

Unaware that the object of their search was watching them.

o.O.o

Kid watched painfully. _They're so close… I can actually sense their souls. Apparently people inside the inbetween world can sense souls outside, in reality, but not the other way around._

Zindyll made the moment worse by drifting closer behind him, gazing cruelly at the screen. _Such fools. Don't you agree, Kid?_

The reaper refused to answer and paid for it by earning another slash on his back. Closing his eyes briefly and sucking in a rasping breath, he willed himself to stay conscious. He knew that he couldn't handle many more hits like that – and his demon captor knew it too.

"Where's your precious kishin egg servant?" he hissed.

_Garn? He's not a kishin egg. Neither is Les. That's another part of your theory that is wrong – Les' shots burn simply because of her and her meister's hatred towards you._

"What did I ever do? I've never even met them before."

_No, but your father has kept me locked up for centuries, and they are very loyal to me. See, when they needed it most, I was there offering a position, power, and wealth beyond their wildest dreams. _The demon chuckled. _Humans are so simpleminded, wouldn't you agree?_

"You're making the same mistake as Asura," Kid rasped, a hint of amusement in his voice. "He swore to turn his back on humankind, and pursued the path of the Kishin. In the end, his disregard for bravery and courage, in his flight from fear, destroyed him."

_But I am not Asura. I am a born demon – not a made one. Rather like you in that sense. Death Scythes can be made, with a certain amount of skill and luck. But you cannot simply 'make' a full-grown Reaper. You have to wait for those annoying lines to connect, do you not? _Kid flinched – the remark had struck home. _Ahh yes… your lines aren't connected. How unfortunate for you._

_It'll make you much easier to break._

o.O.o

"So, where's the next portal?" BlackStar asked, slurping down the last of his ice cream.

"Staadtsmittel," Maka answered absently.

"What?" Soul frowned.

Stein sighed. "It means the center of the city."

After the students had finished their food, they trudged along to the Staadtsmittel and Soul transformed into a scythe.

"**Soul Resonance." **Kami smiled proudly, as did Spirit, as they watched their daughter and her weapon resonating. With a quick swipe from Genie Hunter, they stepped through the portal.

Spirit transformed and performed a quick resonance with Kami, so now they had two Genie Hunters, Stein wielding Marie, and BlackStar with the Enchanted Sword. They advanced cautiously.

In the same instant, Kami, Stein, and Maka all focused their soul perception.

Their eyes snapped open and Maka gasped.

"What?" BlackStar asked anxiously.

"He's here…" she whispered. "Kid…"

o.O.o

In the same instant Maka whispered his name, Kid's golden eyes opened and focused slowly on the screen. _They're… here…_

o.O.o

_What a lovely surprise. _The team sent to find Kid jumped as they heard a strange voice in their heads. _A group of meisters and weapons. Come to look for your errant reaper I suppose?_

"Give. Kid. Back," BlackStar growled.

_Aww, but if it wouldn't be as fun if I just handed him over that easy! _The voice was amused.

"I assume you're Zindyll?" Stein inquired cooly.

_Indeed. We've got ourselves a smart little human here. But, back to my entertainment! I have the perfect idea! _Zindyll was practically snorting each word as he tried not to laugh. _We'll have a deal. You can have Kid back…_

A shadowy form staggered out of the mist to stop in front of them, making the team gasp in horror.

… _if you can beat him._

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Me: hahaha I am CRUEL!

Kid: o\/o not funny.

Me: but it is! MUHAHAHAHAHA!

Maka: D: whhaaa?

Me: *mellow* hehehehe… my plans are all working perfectly. Don't you agree?

Zindyll: that's my line!

~DeaththeKidKat


	7. Chapter 7: Return

It's your lucky day! :D I decided to write the next chapter already!

Congratulations to Corian for being the first one to get my puzzle at the end of … was it chapter 4? Oh great I'm already forgetting… O/O

Just-Me-and-My-Brain: thank you XD

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"K-Kid?" Maka choked out, staring in shock at her friend.

His once-white bandages were ripped, stained, and bloodied, and there were numerous cuts all over his chest and a nasty one on his leg. The black slacks he was wearing were actually still pressed and perfect, minus the slash on his upper thigh. His golden eyes were dull and lifeless. And the worst part…

"You've… possessed him?" BlackStar whispered, horrified.

A ghostly purple aura surrounded him, acting like puppet strings. All of a sudden Kid shuddered and his mouth moved. "No- wait… please! Don't do this! Torture me, but leave them out of it!"

Zindyll's disembodied voice laughed. _Be quiet, little reaper. You can't control yourself right now, or don't you get it? If only you were a full reaper. Then perhaps you'd be strong enough to evade my power. But – oh right! You're not._

Kid winced and closed his eyes. "Do what you wish to me. But let them go!"

_That's hardly fair. I offered them a very good deal. After all, in your weakened state versus Shibusen's strongest meister, two death scythes, the creator of the anti-magic wavelength, her daughter, and the last surviving member of the Star Clan? You stand next to no chance. They'll defeat you easily._

"We just have to- defeat him?" BlackStar asked catiously.

Kid looked up in shock. "No! Don't do-" Another slash appeared on his right shoulder and he hissed in pain.

_Now now Kid. Can't have you spilling _all _my secrets. _Zindyll pondered a moment. _Back to the fight. We should make it a little more fair, don't you agree?_

The young reaper shook his head frantically. "No, please, don't drag them into this-" But it was too late. Two guns appeared out of nowhere, falling from the sky and landing in Kid's hands.

"What the-"

"Holy-!"

"Uh… sis, what just happened?"

Tears welled in Kid's eyes. "How dare you," he spat at Zindyll.

The demon laughed. _Poor Kid. Forced to use his innocent little weapons for evil._

"Wait, hang on a minute, what's happen-"

"Let him go!" BlackStar yelled, leaping at Kid and slashing at him.

Kid flicked to the side, still yelling at Zindyll. The ancient demon was having great fun in jerking Kid around – literally – while leaving his mouth uncontrolled, allowing him to comment on the entire thing but have no control over it.

BlackStar growled in frustration. "Come on! All we have to do is beat him, then he can come with us!"

Maka hesitated but ran forward, slashing half-heartedly at her friend. Kid evaded once more.

Kami let a single tear fall, then ran beside her daughter, two Genie Hunters working in unison.

"Come on Stein!" Spirit yelled. The meister shifted for a moment, tightening his grip on Marie's handle, then tried to slam her into Kid, whose ghostly puppet strings jerked him to the side yet again.

BlackStar shot some shadows at the reaper, keeping him still, then tried to slam the hilt of his sword into Kid's head. Zindyll acted purposefully too late, twitching him to the side so that the hilt came down on the shoulder that Garn had shot. Kid yelled in pain, eyes watering.

Staggering away, the blue-haired assassin stared at the young death god, being yanked around against his will and having no say in it, able to convey his emotions but never once being able to act on them. He was totally and utterly helpless.

Kid seemed to read BlackStar's face and met his wide green eyes with determined, fiery gold ones. "I. Won't. Give. Up."

This made his friends pause for a moment, in which Zindyll cackled loudly. _Oh, it's just getting good! Go on, fight your friends!_ He pulled Kid's hands up and made his unleash a barrage of shots at BlackStar.

Tsubaki erected a wall of shadows that deflected the wavelength bursts. "Come on, BlackStar!"

He snapped out of it and ran forward, much more reluctantly than before. "Right. We'll just beat him then take him home. All there is to it, a star like me will finish this in no time." But there wasn't much conviction behind his words.

Kid's eyes widened. "You didn't realize – you know what, never mind!" Now he directed his words directly at his friends. "Beat me? There's only one way you can truly defeat a Grim Reaper." Liz and Patty seemed to know what he was talking about and let out little gasps.

The battle paused for a moment as the reaper met their confused and furious gazes with his calm one.

"The only way I can be defeated is if you kill me."

o.O.o

Far away, in the Death Room, Lord Death started. He had a strong connection with his son, and could usually sense what was going on in Kid's mind and surroundings. The death god had used this link with his son to watch in his mirror the battle.

But when Kid revealed the secret to his defeat, his father couldn't help but berate him silently.

_My son, don't be such a fool! Don't give up so easily…_

o.O.o

Kid felt the tremor of emotion from his father through their link and blinked, then smiled sadly. _Don't worry, Dad. I'll come back._

The others noticed his brief space-out, then started as he blinked and focused again.

_Aww, you told them? That's no fun. _Zindyll seemed only slightly put out. _We can still have some more great entertainment though! If you won't fight Kid, _he'll _fight _you.

"Don't… count… on… it!" Kid yelled. He reached through his link with his father. _Dad, you know what I have to do. Help me!_ There was a slight hesitation from the other end, but finally Lord Death relented and sent a rush of energy to Kid. With the overflowing power building up inside him, the younger death god broke Zindyll's control for a moment and gestured with his hands, opening a gleaming purple skull on the floor. Maka, BlackStar, Stein, and Kami fell through it as he threw Liz and Patty in after them.

"Kid!" Maka screamed, but the portal disappeared and the skull burned out.

The last image they saw was Kid's eyes rolling up in his head as he collapsed on the shadowy ground.

o.O.o

"No… Kid-kun…" Patty and Liz were crying. The others were still in a heap on the floor, too shocked to do or say anything. Then they slowly untangled themselves.

"Where did Kid- oh." Stein broke off, noticing a somber Lord Death with his back to them, facing his mirror. White clouds floated through a perfect blue sky above them, a field of endless crosses around them. They were back in the Death Room.

Maka clasped Soul's handle so tightly, he decided to transform back and comfort her, but it backfired when she still had a choke hold on his arm. "Maka – losing – circulation – thank you," he breathed when she finally let go.

Marie shook her head, also back in human form. "Lord Death, we're sorry. We failed."

"No…" Lord Death said his voice distant and detached. "I'm the one who let you escape."

BlackStar frowned. "What?"

"I sent the huge rush of power to Kid, allowing him to temporarily break free of Zindyll's grasp and send you back here."

Liz stood up. "What about us? One minute we're at home, sulking because we weren't allowed on the mission, then suddenly we're both guns in Kid's hands fighting you guys. _What freaking happened?_"

Spirit sighed and explained. Kami stayed silent, her eyes unfocused and staring at some memory on the inside of her head.

The elder Shinigami dipped his head slightly to Maka's mother. "Thinking about that time…"

She snapped awake and nodded sadly.

"Thinking about what time?" Maka asked her mother. In response, Lord Death waved his hand over his mirror.

A video appeared, in it two people. One Lord Death. The other was a laughing woman who sat nearby, with identical hair except that her stripes wrapped all the way around. Her eyes were a deep twinkling blue but her skin was pale just like a certain young reaper.

Maka let out a gasp. "That's-"

"Lord Death?"

Patty looked confused, but Liz smiled softly.

"Then that women with you – that's Sakina?" Tsubaki inquired gently.

Lord Death nodded but stayed fixated on his mirror.

"_Come on, don't you want to feel him kick?" Sakina laughed._

_Lord Death gave a low chuckle. "I'm sure he'll be healthy and strong."_

Then the video fast forwarded a few months.

"_Come, little one. I made your mother a promise," Lord Death said sadly to a giggling little boy with jet-black hair marred by three identical white stripes._

_The little boy stopped giggling and frowned. "Mmm…" he said, trying to talk. He can't have been more than two weeks old but his little forehead wrinkled and he mashed his lips together tightly. "Ccchhh… cchhiii… cchhhiiiicchhhiiii…"_

_Lord Death was silent, clearly confused at his son's attempts._

"_Uuueeee… ccchhhiiiichi… chi-chi-uuaaaahh?"_

_Shaking his head, still mystified, the death god stared at his newborn son._

"_Chi-chi-ue?"_

The video ended and the screen went black. Liz smiled softly at the baby version of her meister and Patty giggled quietly.

"Kid's first word was 'honorable father?'" Soul asked, flabbergasted. [A/N: XD I love that word… flabbergasted]

BlackStar snorted. "It is Kid we're talking about."

Lord Death exhaled sadly. "He was only fifteen days old. A week later he could walk and he'd mastered addition by his first birthday. He was the brightest young baby I ever met."

Spirit laughed quietly. "I remember Maka at that age. Her first word was 'papa.' Kami and I have a picture of her the first time she said that, her mouth in this cute little 'o' shape."

Seeing the expression on his daughter's face, he shut up.

Then Lord Death snorted quietly. "That reminds me…" The mirror showed another video.

_This time it was a younger Spirit, his red hair pulled back in a stubby ponytail. He carried a giggling little two-year-old girl on his shoulders as he walked jovially up to the DWMA. Out front, a dark-skinned man was watching proudly and calling out tips to a small blue-haired toddler the same age as the girl on Spirit's shoulders._

"_Hey Sid!" the death scythe called. "Is that the little baby from the Star Clan?"_

"_Yup," Sid answered. "BlackStar."_

_Hearing his name, the boy spun and noticed the new arrival. "Come to watch my amazing perfowmance?" he asked, puffing out his chest and talking in a squeaky voice._

_Maka, the little girl on Spirit's shoulders, tugged on his ponytail to put her down. He complied and she walked up to BlackStar. "Hi!" she squealed. "I'm Maka. Your name is BwackStar?"_

_He nodded proudly._

_As the toddlers continued to brag about everything that toddlers brag about, Sid and Spirit talked quietly._

"_Lord Death still won't talk much. It's been two years already," Spirit said softly._

_Sid shook his head. "That kid of his is helping though. Like therapy."_

_Spirit laughed. "Did you know he's memorized his kid's dictionary and got a full set a week ago? I believe he's on the H's already."_

"_That's amazing. Like a child genius or something," Sid marveled._

"_Well, anyways. Wanna go visit him in the Death Room?"_

_Sid shrugged. "Why not?"_

_Hoisting Maka back onto his shoulders, Spirit trudged inside, followed by Sid and a bouncing BlackStar._

_Inside the Death Room, Maka and BlackStar giggled as they poked at the floating clouds. Then Spirit nudged Maka to keep quiet as they halted at the foot of the platform._

_Lord Death stood before his mirror, in front of his sat Kid crosslegged. "Concentrate. Can you feel their souls?"_

"_The souls of the dead," his son whispered, eyes closed. A cloud of dark energy began to pulse around him. To keep his concentration, he recited a poem quietly._

"_**Death is dark**_

_**It's shadows long**_

_**Bending to meet**_

_**The souls who have gone**_

_**They've met the darkness**_

_**And won't come back**_

_**Forever seeking**_

_**What they lack.**_

_**Death is quiet**_

_**Creeping up**_

_**On the dead and parting**_

_**Like a clear glass cup**_

_**Full of water**_

_**You can see right through**_

_**All the impurities**_

_**Honest and true.**_

_**Death is graceful**_

_**Embracing the lost**_

_**Who must find their way**_

_**No matter the cost**_

_**It guides them through**_

_**The shadows long**_

_**The echoes of sin**_

_**Where they once went wrong.**_

_**Death is impassive**_

_**And doesn't care**_

_**Does only its duty**_

_**The duty to share**_

_**Their skills and their wisdom**_

_**Before souls depart**_

_**Preparing them slowly**_

_**For change to the heart.**_

_**Death is eternal**_

_**Everlasting and black**_

_**For souls who are evil**_

_**They never come back**_

_**But souls who are good**_

_**Their humanity saved**_

_**They'll stay forever**_

_**To Death they have caved."**_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

ooh, ending with a creepy poem! I surprise myself sometimes.

Kid: o.O was I really that scary as a toddler?

Me: }:) oh yes you were

~DeaththeKidKat


	8. Chapter 8: Discovery

Wow, my creepy poem creeped ME out last night… o.O

My friend is insisting I show this to my language arts teacher. I don't think he'll get it, but okay! XD

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

_The cloud of dark energy pulsed quietly for a minute, Spirit and Sid watching in amazement. After a few moments the small toddler raised his head and the energy disappeared, but they could still feel it thrumming in waves throughout the Death Room._

"_Papa, who is that scary kid?" Maka whimpered, tugging on her father's red hair._

"_That's-" Spirit trailed off._

_BlackStar frowned. "Is he a death god? I'll surpass him one day!"_

_The powerful young boy had gotten up, carefully dusting off his suit. He gave the mini BlackStar a disdainful look, and turned his head back to his father._

"_You just ignored me! You're asking for it, buddy!" BlackStar shouted. "Looking down on me like that! You're just too coward to take me on!"_

_The young reaper smirked and turned back. "As if. I'll take you on anytime."_

"_What's youw name?" Maka leaned forward a bit on her father's shoulders._

_Shaking his black and white-striped hair a little, he stared at her with an otherworldly look in his two-toned golden eyes._

"_My name is Death the Kid."_

o.O.o

"Damn, he's scary," Soul muttered as the video ended. Maka and BlackStar were silent, frowning as they tried to remember that day.

Spirit chuckled. "I'll admit, he certainly wasn't much of a people person."

Liz and Patty were silent, processing this new insight into their meister's life.

"That poem…" Maka muttered, her forehead wrinkled as she tried to remember something. "I know that from somewhere."

"Of course you do. Kid just recited it, you were there when he said it," Soul prodded her.

"No, from somewhere else." She swatted her weapon's hand away irritably.

Kami sighed deeply. "Everyone here in Shibusen will someday hear that poem. It's very famous, yet few people alive know it."

Soul rolled his eyes. "That doesn't make sense."

"It's the poem of death." Stein adjusted his glasses. "When you take your final breath, that poem will sing in your ears as Death guides your soul to the Grim World."

A shiver went up BlackStar's spine. "Then, that night when Kid crept up on me from behind and I said it felt like someone had walked over my grave-"

"Kid was unintentionally singing the first line of the poem," Stein clarified.

"Kid can sing?" For some reason, Maka found the idea ridiculously funny. She giggled quietly.

Patty joined in. "Of course he can sing! He sang to us once."

Liz groaned. "I thought he told us never to tell anyone about that **ever**."

"But what's the fun in that?" her sister laughed. "I can kinda remember it…"

BlackStar stayed quiet. So that was the first time he had met Kid. He replayed it in his mind over and over, him calling the reaper a coward, then Kid turning and calmly accepting his challenge. _I knew that I'd seen him before, that first day when he came to school… and that poem, I recognized it the minute he started singing it that night we were sleeping over at his house. He didn't get much farther than 'Death is graceful,' so I guess that's good._ Maka startled him out of his thoughts by poking him.

"Come on, cloudbrain, Patty's gonna sing."

_Cloudbrain? Seriously? _But BlackStar remained silent as Patty's clear voice filled the air.

"**Once, long ago,**

**On a frost-bitten plain**

**Where you could forgo**

**Your pleasure and pain**

**A man stood up tall**

**And faced Death unafraid**

**Challenged him in front of all**

**A proposal he made.**

o

'**I challenge you to a duel**

**And the stakes are thus;**

**If I win the cruel**

**Task of dying leaves us.**

**You'll leave us alone**

**Leave our souls be**

**Surrender your throne**

**And leave us, you see.**

o

**If you win**

**Play fair**

**You give us a sin**

**We'll remain in your care.**

**The sin of greed**

**We'll never forget**

**Leave us saying we need**

**Everything hard to get.'**

o

**Death thought for a moment**

**Then accepted his request**

**A fair fight they would have**

**By the young man's behest.**

o

**The rules they were simple**

**To be honored they were**

**For once Death and Man**

**Could neither deter**

**A punch or a kick**

**They were on equal ground**

**But the man could still tell**

**That if to Death he lost**

**He'd stay under a shell.**

o

**This shell of protection**

**Death so easily made**

**It showed no warm affection**

**Watched from the cold shade.**

o

**Long they fought**

**But the young man complained**

**Death was holding back**

**His powers still chained**

**By small self-control**

**The shadow held back**

**What he knew he could show**

**The man's soul it would crack.**

o

**Finally the man called a pause**

**Berated Death**

**For a so-called good cause.**

'**You're holding back!**

**You won't show your strength**

**You fight like a coward**

**I know there's a length**

**To your powers, it's endless**

**Dark and mysterious**

**A mortal man**

**Would be more than delirious.**

**Why won't you go all out?**

**I am eager to fight you**

**To the world I did shout.'**

o

**Death was silent for what seemed like a lifetime**

**Then he drew himself up**

**And spoke no more than two sentences**

**That made man quiver like a pup.**

o

'**Man is arrogant**

**They forget where they lie**

**Not up in a bubble**

**Down here, where you shy**

**From the shadows that lurk**

**In every corner**

**They ignore and protest**

**They all are a mourner**

**Saying it's never their fault**

**But I watch them, quiet**

**Silent as the grave**

**It's your souls I save.**

o

**Death is dark**

**It's shadows long**

**Bending to meet**

**The souls who have gone**

**They've met the darkness**

**And won't come back**

**Forever seeking**

**What they lack.**

**Death is quiet**

**Creeping up**

**On the dead and departing**

**Like a clear glass cup**

**Full of water**

**You can see right through**

**All the impurities**

**Honest and true.**

**Death is graceful**

**Embracing the lost**

**Who must find their way**

**No matter the cost**

**It guides them through**

**The shadows long**

**The echoes of sin**

**Where they once went wrong.**

**Death is impassive**

**And doesn't care**

**Does only its duty**

**The duty to share**

**Their skills and their wisdom**

**Before souls depart**

**Preparing them slowly**

**For change to the heart.**

**Death is eternal**

**Everlasting and black**

**For souls who are evil**

**They never come back**

**But souls who are good**

**Their humanity saved**

**They'll stay forever**

**To Death they have caved.'"**

When Patty finished the song, Tsubaki was crying quietly. Maka frowned. "That last part was from Kid's poem…"

Lord Death spoke up for the first time. "That is the full song, or poem. When sang in full the effects of the last part are nonexistent. But if Kid had _sung _what he recited all those years ago, I'm afraid everyone in the room but for him and I would have found their souls ripped from their bodies and sent to the Grim World."

The humans shuddered.

After a moment of silence, the team left leaving the elder Shingami to his thoughts.

BlackStar walked down the hallway a ways behind the others, his hands in his pockets and the collar of his black shirt up to his nose. The last stanza of the song still rang through his head.

_Death is eternal_

_Everlasting and black_

_For souls who are evil_

_They never come back_

_But souls who are good_

_Their humanity saved_

_They'll stay forever_

_To Death they have caved…_

o.O.o

The same song was being hoarsely sung by Kid. Of course, to actually send souls to the Grim World you had to be in the real world, and it required a small amount of power, usually such a small amount it would barely make Kid thirsty let alone tired.

But he knew if he tried anything of even that small size in Zindyll's chains, Kid would find himself being drained of practically every scrap of power he had left in his body. And there wasn't much.

_Death is dark_

_It's shadows long_

_Bending to meet_

_The souls who have gone…_

Garn came in and prodded Kid with the tip of his knife. A small rivulet of blood ran down the young reaper's arm, but he ignored it.

_They've met the darkness_

_And won't come back_

_Forever seeking_

_What they lack…_

"So little reaper, almost ready to break yet?" Garn taunted, sliding the blade slowly across his shoulder. Kid closed his eyes and refused to respond.

_Death is quiet_

_Creeping up_

_On the dead and departing_

_Like a clear glass cup…_

"I thought Master had taught you some lessons in humility," the twisted meister snarled, slicing another stripe across Kid's already blood-stained back.

_Full of water_

_You can see right through_

_All the impurities_

_Honest and true…_

"I know you can hear me." Slice. "I'm not gonna stop you know." Slice. "Well, unless you're about to die." Slice. "Then maybe." Slice. Kid bit his lip hard to keep silent.

_Death is graceful_

_Embracing the lost_

_Who must find their way_

_No matter the cost…_

Studying his prey closely, Garn noticed Kid's eyes were screwed up tight. He spat out a small amount of blood, breathing hard.

_It guides them through_

_The shadows long_

_The echoes of sin_

_Where they once went wrong…_

Placing a grubby finger on his forehead, Garn noticed that the prisoner was burning hot, but it didn't seem to be from any normal sickness or flu.

_Death is impassive_

_And doesn't care_

_Does only its duty_

_The duty to share…_

It almost seemed like he was a machine, burning up from overuse. Frowning, Garn tried to think of what to tell his Master. He couldn't very well tell him his prized prisoner was dying.

_Their skills and their wisdom_

_Before souls depart_

_Preparing them slowly_

_For change to the heart…_

Finally he noticed Kid was mumbling something. "What was that?" he asked roughly, smacking Kid's with his fist. The reaper took the blow without stopping.

_Death is eternal_

_Everlasting and black_

_For souls who are evil_

_They never come back…_

Was the boy starting to unhinge? That was a good sign, Garn supposed, because the whole point was to break him. But this seemed slightly unnatural.

_But souls who are good_

_Their humanity saved_

_They'll stay forever_

_To Death they have caved._

Kid's eyes snapped open and he gasped, making Garn jump back in surprise. Zindyll floated in as a cloud of purple mist. "What's going on?" he snapped irritably.

The young death god was shaking slightly. "That's it," he mumbled wildly. "I've got it!"

His jailors were severely perplexed.

Lifting his head, Kid stared them both straight in the – well, Zindyll was a blob of mist, but whatever he looked through – eye and said calmly,

"_**Death is dark**_

_**Like the clouds in the sky**_

_**Death is quiet**_

_**From it people shy**_

_**Death is graceful**_

_**People seek to escape**_

_**Death is impassive**_

_**It knows your soul shape.**_

_**Dark**_

_**Quiet**_

_**Graceful**_

_**Impassive.**_

_**Death is what it is**_

_**You cannot deny**_

_**For in your last hour**_

_**Your soul will die.**_

_**Dark, quiet, graceful, impassive**_

_**The concept massive**_

_**Once considered infernal**_

_**Death is eternal."**_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

My God, it seems I've developed a passion for poems! *faints* I promise I will never fill up a chapter with my meaningless crap again. XD

But unfortunately since it is a key thing the main poem that was in the last chapter as well as the one at the end of this chapter will appear again – but I'm not telling you why yet ;)

Kid: I'm going insane

Me: *mumbles deliriously* hehehehehe… *laughs hysterically* no I am!

Kid: noooo **I **am! *giggling insanely*

Me: teeheeheeee… I'm going insane first *chuckles evilly*

Kid: I'm first! *…*

Me: shoot I'm running out of words for 'laughter'… *faints*

Kid: I'M FIRST! *faints faster*

Garn: T.T' why did I accept this job?

~DeaththeKidKat


	9. Chapter 9: Sleep

The all-holy next chapter! Bow down before it! And I realized Zindyll's dialogue is hard to distinguish from the normal people's thinking so now it is _italicized and underlined._

One other thing, I dedicate this chapter to my brother who is an eternal Soul fan :D he will love me for writing this XD it'll be mostly from Soul's POV when it isn't Kid, btw

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kid moaned softly. After reciting his poem he'd fallen unconscious, leaving a very confused Garn and an angry/confused/nervous Zindyll.

_Damn that reaper… the rush of energy he gave to his son seems to have begun changing him. _The demon cursed.

"Uh… don't we want him to break?" Garn asked, confused.

_Idiot! We want him to break to us. If he's begun to change on his own, however, it means he's becoming a full death god._

"Oh." Shaking his head, the sniper padded out of the room, leaving his master to torture the young reaper some more. _I don't know why I took this job._

Kid continued to mumble random stanzas of the new song he'd blurted out. "Once considered infernal… people seek to escape… Death is eternal… it knows your soul shape…" He was subconsciously rhyming again.

Unfortunately for him this unnerved his demon captor. And demons – Zindyll especially – hated to be unnerved. So he retaliated by lashing Kid's back a few more times. _Stupid reaper. I'm afraid you'll be long dead before you have a chance to become a full-fledged death god._ Then he put up the screen again and left.

o.O.o

Soul sighed and jammed his hands in his pockets. _Damn Maka. Shutting herself in her room for ages… _

He gave up and plodded into the kitchen to get something to eat. Opening the refridgerator, he discovered they were out of milk, so went outside to fetch some more from the store. Walking down the street, he glanced up and down the streets nonchalantly. They seemed… darker, somehow. Less friendly. You'd think that with a Grim Reaper _gone _it would be the other way around, but apparently not. Sighing, the demon scythe walked into the nearby grocery store and bought some milk. On the way back he passed by BlackStar's apartment. Soul looked up and saw that the window was open, and BlackStar was sitting on the roof.

"Hey, dude!" Soul called up to his friend.

BlackStar glanced down, but didn't answer for once. Shrugging and dismissing it as being too caught up in thoughts about Kid, Soul continued on his way down the street. It was surprising, but the assassin had formed a close bond with the young reaper – however violent the bond was most of the time. Opening the door to his own apartment, the weapon yawned, put the milk in the fridge, and flopped on the couch.

Funny. The whole city seemed wrapped in lethargy today. He was no exception. Another yawn overtook him and Soul shook his head. _Urgh… what's going on with this place?_

He knocked on Maka's door but there was no reply. Hesitantly, he opened it and peered inside. Normally he would've been brained by a well-placed Maka chop, but none was forthcoming. That was certainly odd. Stepping inside, he found his meister simply sitting on her windowsill with the window open, gazing out across the city silently.

"… Maka?" Soul asked carefully. She wouldn't reply. The wind moved her ponytails carelessly but she didn't seem to care and left them as they were, tangled and unbrushed. _Very _un-Makalike. "Want some lunch?" Still no answer. Taking that as a maybe, he left and began to prepare some turkey sandwiches. Maka loved turkey – if anything, this would snap her out of it. Soul refused to think about the other alternative – she'd stay quiet and depressed, unable to even smile at a small thing like food that normally made her laugh and punch Soul for making it wrong.

Because a world without smiling is like a world without death – no world at all.

o.O.o

Everything hurt. All over. Especially his back and arms. But Kid had to ignore the pain – accepting pain proved your worth, but too much was weak. And he couldn't afford to be seen as weak.

_Almost ready to break, reaper boy?_ Kid almost groaned at the sound of Zindyll's voice, the same line every day. But he stopped himself – the last time he'd expressed boredom in any way, he'd been forced to run from one of the swamp creatures that lurked in the inbetween world until his muscles were on fire and his feet were torn to shreds by the branches and rocks everywhere. In other words, a long time, because normally his stamina, speed, and strength were miles ahead of even the fittest of humans.

_No? That's too bad._ More lashes, like a whip but more direct. Kid had long since given up hissing, because that just made him more thirsty. He could go for weeks without food and water but these chains were pushing it to the limit. They drained his power and made him expend enormous amounts for tiny things like freaking _moving_.

The screen lit up once more, making Kid flinch. The only thing worse than having to endure all these cuts and such was watching his friends sink lower and lower into despair and lethargy. He knew Zindyll had cast a sort of sleeping spell on the city, affecting everyone but his father. The humans slept more, ate more, and stayed still more. Both reapers knew that if left unchecked, Death City would stay that way.

But all Kid could do was stay quiet and try not to move in his own chains, fearing the moment when his friends grew so sleepy they gave up hope.

Because a world without hope is like a world without death – no world at all.

o.O.o

Soul decided to go visit Lord Death, ask him about everybody's strange attitudes. Stepping inside the Death Room, he nearly stumbled back out in shock.

The normally pristine white clouds were a stormy gray, the perpetually blue sky an inky cobalt. Small _stars _had begun to pop up everywhere, lighting up the guillotine pathway and the platform with the mirror in a soft white glow. Hurrying forward, Soul skidded to a stop before Lord Death, who was staring sadly at his mirror. Peering around his spiky shoulder curiously, the scythe watched as picture after picture flashed across the screen. All of either Sakina or Kid, sometimes Kid with Lord Death. Toddler pictures, young pictures, recent pictures. And finally, the one that hit hardest – the one of Kid sitting on a park bench next to Soul himself, smiling softly. It was one of those special smiles, the ones that could only be coaxed out of him by his friends and weapons.

"Uh, sir…" Soul asked softly. Turning with a sigh, Lord Death nodded to him.

"Something wrong, kidd-" he broke off, looking away. He'd been about to call Soul 'kiddo,' which he called pretty much all Shibusen students, but seldom with the affectionate hint he saved especially for his son.

Soul watched in understanding silence. "Sir, the whole city seems a little – sleepy today."

"Yes…" Lord Death mused. "It's affecting the Death Room too, as you can see. The only one powerful enough to do that is Zindyll. I fear he's begun to make his move again. And the only way to break this particular spell is to kill the source." He drew himself up taller if that was possible, then his tone dropped an octave to the gravelly, ancient voice. "It's time we went looking for Kid again."

"R-right," Soul stammered. "I'll, uh, get Maka." He ran out.

Spirit stepped out from behind the mirror. He stifled a yawn and looked sadly at the reaper. "We're gonna have to move really quick, won't we?"

"I'm afraid so. The portal that leads to Zindyll has most likely changed again to a different location, but this time I know what I'm looking for. The new portal is in California."

Nodding, the death scythe pulled out a phone and sent a quick message to Tsubaki, Kami, Marie, Stein, and Justin. They'd need an extra death scythe with them, but it was easier if they didn't have to have a meister – less possible collateral damage.

Storing his phone back in his pocket, Spirit brushed his bangs from his eyes and tapped his fingers together nervously. "Sir, I'm sorry to be asking this… but I wanted to know, what was your favorite memory of Kid?"

"Don't be, Spirit. In fact it may cheer me up a little. Now let's see… probably when he was training and began to discover his special Sanzu powers. The first time he tried Sin stance, when he was one and a half, he kept complaining about how unbalanced he felt. That changed after he nearly got killed by a stray kishin egg and it saved him…" He chuckled and shook his head. It was true, talking about this did lighten him up a bit. Laughter was good.

Because a world without laughter is like a world without death – no world at all.

Then again, a world without Kid is a world without Death.

And that was ten times worse.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

I apologize for it being SO INCREDIBLY SHORT! I had barely any time today to get it done and I knew I wanted to end it like I just did… sooo

Soul: hmph… I didn't actually get much more attention that usual. -.-

Me: XD ya but my brother is still going to spontaneously explode in happiness. Then glomp you a million times.

Soul: *hides under bed* God help me…

Kid: T.T when will my torture end?

Me: WHEN YOU DIE! MUHAHAHAHAHA! Just kidding… maybe o.O

~DeaththeKidKat


	10. Chapter 10: Link

I'M BACK! And I promise this chapter will be much longer… ^.^'

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

_How many times, reaper?_ Zindyll sighed. _You insist on staying strong. Can't you see that will only hurt you – and your precious friends – in the end? You may be immortal, like your father and I myself, but you are impressively naïve._

Kid ground his teeth. "Don't insult my father," he hissed. He refused to break or even talk under torture, but insulting his father and/or friends was something he would never tolerate.

The demon laughed. _Your show of 'strength' is getting you nowhere. Watch as your friends sink slowly into an everlasting sleep, and there's nothing your father can do but watch._

Ironically, the minute he said this, the screen zoomed in on Soul dragging a sleepy Maka after him as he gathered BlackStar, Tsubaki, Liz, Patty, Stein, Marie, Kami, Spirit, and _Justin _and herded them all at scythe-point to the airport. Once out of Death City, on their way to California, the others seemed to wake up suddenly and peppered Soul with questions. Well, Maka peppered him with Maka chops, while the others made it worse by demanding answers while he clutched his dented head.

Zindyll snarled. _Damn that weapon boy. I forgot about his cursed black blood – it shielded him more effectively than the others. And it seems they've found our new lair. Ready to watch your dear friends die, young reaper?_

"Good luck with that," Kid rasped in amusement. "Don't underestimate them. Asura did, and look how he ended up."

_Yes, and look how you ended up._

"My capture has nothing to do with Asura."

_Wrong. Garn only sided with me because his family was killed by Shibusen in the battle against Asura._

"How can that be?" Kid couldn't keep the shock out of his voice. "Shibusen doesn't kill innocent bystanders."

_Wrong again. Well, partly. Garn's parents were collateral damage. He wanted revenge, and found me. A couple months later… voila. You are bound in my chains._

"I admit that the Academy was very suspicious immediately before the battle against madness. But I won't believe this rubbish about 'collateral damage.'"

_What's there to doubt? It's true. If you'd rather I could call Garn in here and you can ask him. You are a Shinigami – you can tell when mortals are lying, correct?_

"How would _you_ know about that?"

Zindyll snorted. _I know many things, little god. Including ways to break you instantly to my will._

"Really. You haven't succeeded so far."

_This? Hah. This is entertainment._ He chuckled. _No, little god, this is far from my full power. I admit it was amusing watching you think you'd bested me, sent your friends away against my will. Well… that's not entirely true. I didn't expect for you to show me that much capacity for wavelength control, but no matter. You've only given me a better understanding of good ways to break you._

Kid stayed silent. "Try all you want. I will not break. The day I betray my father and my friends is the day I die."

Zindyll considered this a moment. _Very well, little god._ And he enveloped Kid briefly in a sickly green mist, before floating away laughing.

_So be it._

o.O.o

BlackStar frowned. "So the whole city was put under a spell?"

"Still is," Soul corrected. "According to Lord Death, the only way to break it is to defeat Zindyll."

Jumping up, the blue-haired assassin punched his fist in the air. "YAHOO! We'll kill that annoying demon and I will be proven a great star YET AGAIN!"

"**SSSSSHHHHHH!" **an echoing whisper sounded from the seats around them. Thanks to being students at the Academy, they'd gotten first-class seats on a luxurious small plane, but there were a few other well-paying passengers on board who didn't much appreciate BlackStar and his loud ways.

Tsubaki tugged him with surprising force back into his seat before he could demolish the plane and distracted him by showing him a free program about shooting stars and astronomy on the small screens in front of their seats. The excitable meister sat watching unusually quietly, commenting every once in a while to Tsubaki. "Stars are fast… whoa, shooting star… what's a trillion? … hey, that star looks like me!"

Soul rolled his eyes. Patty was bouncing around on her seat in front of him, while Stein was muttering something about dissecting swamp creatures behind him. Marie was napping, Liz was painting her nails, Maka was reading (quelle surprise), Tsubaki had left BlackStar to his program and was listening to music, Justin was – uh, also listening to music while staring out the window, Kami was watching some program on the evolution of plants, Spirit was surfing some [CENSORED], leaving Soul with the most obvious option.

Watch something cool, duh.

o.O.o

About six hours later, they rolled their suitcases down a long hallway of identical suites. Kami refused to share with her ex-husband, so she was with Marie, Spirit was with Justin and Stein, Maka was with Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty, and BlackStar and Soul were together. There were numerous beds in separate rooms of each suite, along with a small living room/bar and a full bathroom.

Soul threw his bag on the bed closest to the wall, while BlackStar got the one next to the window. Knowing him, the hyperactive meister would end up falling out the window in the middle of the night. Soul could care less.

But for once BlackStar was unusually subdued. "Is it just me or-" he cut himself off.

"Feels like something's missing? Yeah, I feel you, dude," Soul added heavily.

"It just doesn't feel right. He should be here, rearranging everything and complaining about all the crap he usually does." The scythe gazed around miserably.

Just then there was a knock on the door, which was around in the main room. Soul walked out of their bedroom and opened it to see Maka and Tsubaki, wrapped in towels and twirling sets of goggles around their fingers. "Time to go swimming," his meister grinned mischievously.

o.O.o

Soul grumbled as he was dragged through the doors of the pool room, shirtless, with orange and white swim trunks. BlackStar leaped after him, once again energetic in blue shorts with white stars. Tsubaki followed him, sweat-dropping, in a yellow and pink bikini. Maka was already on the first step of the pool, ankle deep in water, dressed in a two piece shirt swimsuit. In fact, everybody was there except Justin, whom they'd left sitting on the couch listening to music and surfing the internet on a small laptop. Stein had (of course) gray stitched swim shorts, Marie a black and yellow [XD] bikini, Kami refused to go swimming so was in regular attire, and Spirit had red shorts with scythes all over them.

They splashed around in the pool for a while before Liz and Patty came in, in identical blue and black bikinis.

"Hey!" Maka called, grinning.

"You guys look the same! Symmetrical!" Marie exclaimed, then shut up when she realized what she had said. Both sisters looked down at the floor. Even Patty's normal hyper attitude was subdued.

Then Maka realized Patty was fiddling with a small box. "What's that?"

The Thompsons gazed at it for a moment in shock, then Liz rounded on her sister. "I thought you left that in the room?"

"I couldn't leave it there," Patty sniffled. "I wanted him to watch us swim. Happy."

Everybody waded over to the edge, where Patty sat carefully on the edge of the pool and opened the box. She pulled out a big wad of pictures held together by a rubber band. Undoing it catiously, she spread them all out on a sheet of plastic wrap so they wouldn't get wet.

They were all pictures of Kid. Soul recognized some of them from the slideshow that he'd caught Lord Death looking at the day before. Some were of him at about nine years of age, but the rest were all recent. Including one of him sitting on the edge of a pool, outside, smiling at presumably Patty in the background. He had perfectly symmetrical black swim shorts with two gray skulls on the hem and was already wet, clearly having swum not that long ago.

"He looks… different," Tsubaki managed. Spirit remained quiet, thinking of Lord Death sadly.

"That's because he looks happy," Liz choked out, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It seemed we were the only one who could really choke that kind of smile out of him. Only a few times though, usually times like these." She dug out a few pictures of Kid with the same smile – cooking, relaxing on a couch, even sleeping. Then riding his skateboard around high in the sky, shooting at targets, reading. All normal activities.

Patty hesitated before helping her sister pull out the last picture. Kid, sitting crosslegged with his eyes open and his hair blowing about symmetrically. It was the same smile, but… there was something _otherworldly _about it. Dark crackles of energy surrounded him and you could almost feel the power thrumming through the picture.

They were all silent before BlackStar commented, "That is one scary smile."

When everyone glared at him, he shrugged. "What?" He tried stepping back but forgot momentarily he was in water and slipped, grabbing the nearest thing – the edge of the pool.

"BlackStar, _NO!" _Patty shrieked. She pulled the plastic wrap out of reach, but a single picture was caught under the assassin's fingers and pulled into the water with him. Too late, he tried to stand up and thrust it above water, but it was already soaked. It was the picture of Kid sleeping, and they watched in horrified silence as the ink run and it crumbled into soggy pieces in BlackStar's fingers.

No one said a word until Patty flew at the blue-haired meister in pure rage. _**"DAMN YOU!"**_

Liz tried to stop her sister, but she had plunged into the pool onto BlackStar, grasping his neck in a choke hold, her eyes alight with furious malice. Her victim was still frozen, but then he slowly snapped out of it and knocked her arms away easily. It took Maka, Tsubaki, and Liz to restrain a thrashing Patty but she calmed down eventually and fury gave way to sobs.

"You ruined him," she cried. "He got too wet. Now he'll never wake up." She couldn't stop sobbing.

They decided on no more swimming for a while.

o.O.o

Kid watched them painfully through the screen. _I CAN watch you swim… and I AM happy…_ but there was no way to tell them that.

_Poor little god. Doesn't it make you want to cry, seeing your friends so happy without you?_ Zindyll tried what he probably thought was a sympathetic tone, but it was severely lacking.

"They're not happy," Kid growled. "Patty's crying because of you. Because the only thing they have that's closest to me is pictures. You can break people, but you can't take away free will – or friendship."

_That's where you're wrong. I have broken many a friend, and friendships few and far between. How long do you think it will take to break yours?_

o.O.o

"Why aren't we out looking for Kid?" BlackStar protested. They were dressed and lounging together in the main sitting room that was shared by all the suites. On either side of the sunken couches was a strip of carpet, and floor to ceiling glass windows that offered a perfect view to one side of the entire city of Los Angeles, with the sea beyond it. They were on the twelfth floor and two short hallways on either side led to their suites.

Spirit sighed. "We can't go looking for him right now. You know that – Zindyll is expecting it. He's actually watching us right now."

"He WHAT?" Liz gasped.

"Lord Death could sense it," Stein explained. "And actually, Kid is watching us too. As we speak."

Patty looked up, eyes wide. "Then… he could see us swim?"

"Yup," Stein grunted. "Zindyll's hoping to break Kid slowly, then turning him on us before killing him. Entertainment is his main motivation."

Liz snarled in disgust. "I'll rip him apart."

"Anyways, there's only one way we can talk without him hearing us. We'll have to move slowly and carefully, but there's a way it could work," Stein continued. He gave them all an even stare. "Ready?"

Maka jumped up with a determined look in her eye. The meisters and Justin stood an even distance apart from each other, their weapons in hands. Liz held Patty in gun form, and Justin popped a guillotine out of one arm for good measure.

"**Resonance Link." **Maka gasped at the intense power as six incredibly powerful souls, including her own, expanded and thrummed. Her blue grigori soul extended small wings. BlackStar's spiky darker blue one grew small black symbols all over, signs of the Enchanted Sword. Justin's intricately designed soul beat steadily to his music. Kami's light yellow soul extended identical grigori wings like her daughter, and Stein's stitched soul swiveled the screw slowly. Finally, Liz stepped into the middle, the combined pinks of her and her sister's soul smaller perhaps in comparison to the others', but still with immense power.

As they watched, a small thread extended from one soul to the next, until all of the meisters and Justin were connected. Then they all reached out and connected to Liz. With the unimaginable power coming off in waves, Liz sent out a small tendril… _straight up_. From nowhere, a dark gray tendril attached to hers, and all the people in the sitting room trembled in surprise. They could feel another soul, familiar…

"Kid?" Maka gasped. Liz nodded, her eyes sad and soft. _Keep quiet._

_Alright, now we can talk. Including Kid. _Stein sighed.

Maka: _Um… Kid, can you hear us?_

Kid: _Yes._

BlackStar: _Aha, so you're okay?_

Kid: _I've been captured by an elder demon and tortured within an inch of my life. Do I sound okay?_

Justin hummed his song quietly.

Soul:_ Hey dude, what is the name of that song anyways?_

Justin continued humming. _Not sure._

Maka: _You listen to it constantly._

Justin: _Yes, but after a while you only pay attention to the song and forget the name._

Stein sighed. _Back to the topic of Kid?_

Kid: _Joy. It takes being captured and tortured to get attention._

Marie: _Aww, poor thing!_

Spirit: _Can we get on with talking to Kid?_

After a lot of bantering, they returned to the matter at hand.

_I'm not really sure exactly where I am in Zindyll's lair, _Kid pondered. _Some sort of cave room. There are these annoying purple chains around my wrists that drain my power, and both Zindyll and Garn – the sniper – come to annoy me regularly._

_Annoy? _BlackStar snorted. _Doesn't sound much different from normal life._

Kid growled, half in exasperation, half in anger. _Except you people don't give me horrendous wounds that would have killed a normal human three days ago._

_So in other words, we're actually kind of lucky you were the one captured and not one of us? _Stein grinned.

_Sadistic as ever, but yes, _the young reaper conceded.

_What's our plan of attack? _Soul jumped right to the point.

Stein coughed. _Right. Here's what we're gonna do…_

o.O.o

An hour later, they said their farewells to Kid's, er, soul – some tearfully, like Liz and Marie; some cackling about dissection (… no comment.)

_We'll come and get you, Kid,_ Maka promised. _Whatever it takes._

_Th-thanks. _Kid choked up for a second, then a wave of amusement passed through their connection. _**Mother.**_

This time it was Maka who choked, and the death god chuckled one last time before ending their connection. _Zindyll's coming. Most likely to torture me some more. Remember how to smile, laugh, and hope, even if you don't succeed in getting me back._

_A world without smiles, without laughter, without hope, is like a world without Death._

_No world at all._

o.O.o

Right before the souls had cut out, two metallic objects dropped from the ceiling out of nowhere, landing in front of Liz and Patty. _Remember… me… _Kid's voice was faint. _And remember… how to smile… laugh… hope._ Then he was gone.

Ending their resonance, everyone crowded around Kid's weapons as they clutched his last gift tightly. It was his two silver skull rings.

Wordlessly, Liz took off her long plain double-looped silver necklace and broke it in half. She threaded a ring onto each chain, tied the ends securely together, then handed one to her sister and slung the other around her neck. Both sisters held the rings carefully in their fingers, like they were afraid they would break, then excused themselves to their room.

After a sigh and words of sympathy, the others dissipated as well. Maka flopped on her bed and gazed out the window. "… Tsubaki?"

"Yeah?" the dark arm answered softly.

"Do you think we'll get Kid back?"

Silence. "I know we will."

o.O.o

Kid groaned. "Damn…" he cursed. His wounds stung like hell.

_Tired of it yet, little god? Sure you don't want it to end? It would be so easy._

"No thanks. I'm quite certain."

_Aww. That's no fun._

"You say the same line every damn day."

_Do I? I apologize, little god._

"Stop calling me that."

_Calling you what? Little god? But it suits you. A reaper, yet still young. Death in the flesh, but so vunerable. Spitting image of your father, but your name is Kid. Poor little god._

"Shut up."

_My, my, strong words._

"Not strong enough."

_You'll soon come around._

"We'll see about that." Then he began running his song over and over in his mind.

_**Death is what it is**_

_**You cannot deny**_

_**For in your last hour**_

_**Your soul will die…**_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Teeheehee!

Kid: ;A;

Me: }:)

Anyways, big announcement! After the end of this fanfic (which will be a ginormous cliffhanger, I can assure you) my friend will take the reins and write a sequel! And if we feel like it we'll write a third together! :D

Got to go, buh-bye!

~DeaththeKidKat


	11. Chapter 11: Melody

*sighs* I am really sorry… this chapter is going to end up being total, absolute crap. I feel tired and irritable and hungry… and my dad's taking forever in roasting chicken. *dies* so sorry, stick with it it'll get better ;A;

Also, starting NOW, I will start making these songfics… just cuz *wink* todays song… -BUM BUM BUM BUUUM- is… Five Becomes Four by Yellowcard!

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kid lifted his head defiantly and met Garn's eyes. The sniper stared at him cooly. "Ready to break?"

**Needed some time so I could find**

**A little strength to redefine**

"Never," Kid spat.

So Garn brought the knife down across his shoulders.

o.O.o

Maka resonated quickly with Soul out on the beach. Stein had insisted they train before going and rescuing Kid, the reaper had assured them he would hold on for as long as super-humanly possible. Or was it godly? Who cared. Swinging Genie Hunter around effortlessly, the scythe meister vented her anger on the palm trees, sending them crashing down around her.

**What I've become, what I have done**

**I never asked to be the one**

The adults were too scared to bring Maka and BlackStar with them. They thought they wouldn't be able to handle it. Just the very thought made the two younger meisters scowl.

Liz and Patty too, Stein didn't want to bring them along _ever_, let alone after a week of training. A week. A _week! _Kid was strong, but he couldn't possibly hold out against a demon of Zindyll's power for a few more days, let alone a week.

The twin pistols knew this better than anyone, and had begged and pleaded with Stein and Spirit to let them come NOW. But neither death scythe nor meister would agree.

Ending their resonance, Maka crouched with her hands on her knees, panting. She gripped Soul tightly, laying him across her legs. "I don't know what to do, Soul," she confessed. "We have to go after Kid now. But the adults won't stand for it."

**I'm riding it out**

**This storm that you brought in**

"Come on, Maka. Is one bad grade more important than letting your friend die?"

She flinched at that. He was right, as he seemed to always be in these situations. Except it wasn't just the pesky adult's rules that were making her hesitate.

"But… you know Zindyll is watching us. He may not know our plans, but he definitely isn't stupid. He's cruel – he made Kid hang there, tortured, watching us have fun in a freaking _pool _for God's sake. For all we know he's still watching… us…" Maka trailed off. "Right now," she whispered, then her head snapped up and she searched the sky as if Kid's image would magically appear. "We're coming for you, Kid," she said in a steely calm voice. "And tell that demon guy to get a life." Then she ran off back towards the hotel, still holding Soul in a death grip. Normal people stared at a young girl running by with a _scythe _in hand, but since this was LA, nobody questioned it. Ah, America. Where kids running around with weapons is far from the strangest sight.

_In God We Trust? Give me a break. _Maka looked around for BlackStar, and found him sitting in a secluded little section of the pooldeck, shadows swarming around him. Frankly, he looked almost as scary as Kid did when he was a little toddler summoning black lightning and singing emo songs.

**Bringing it down only around**

**For you I'd go again**

She grabbed him by the arm, effectively startling him into losing control of the shadows, then dragged him out towards town. Now people were starting to stare. A girl with a scythe? Sure, why not. A girl with a scythe dragging a boy with a black sword and what looked like tattoos, with shadows swirling around him angrily? Oookay. Now things were getting a _little _strange, even for Americans. The tourists were completely lost.

"What the hell, Maka?" BlackStar yelped.

"Come on. We're going to find Kid."

"Disobeying orders? That does it. Soul, buddy, what'd you put in her drink?"

His friend snorted. "Dunno, dude. Just go with it. You know he can walk, right Maka?" he addressed his meister.

She gave a little hiss of annoyance. "Fine. But if you can't keep up that's your problem."

Shrugging, her teammate followed. "Okay. But, uh… since we're a team and all… mind telling me where we're _freaking going?_"

"First, we're going up to our hotel room. Stein, Marie, Kami, and Spirit all went into town to find out some stuff at the library and whatnot, and who knows where Justin is. But Liz and Patty are up in our room, so they deserve to know what's going on. And they deserve to come with us – he's their meister."

BlackStar learned the hard way not to go charging into a room occupied by two girls who can transform into guns. Meaning he got knocked to the floor with a giggling pistol pressed to his temple, held by Liz. When she saw who it was, she was almost tempted to shoot him then and there, but saw Maka and relented. "What do you want?" she growled, stomping back to the couch and flopping down on it, Patty back in human mode leaning against the wall giving them all the death glare.

**It's gotta be easy to see**

**What everyone takes out of me**

"We're going to go find Kid," Maka announced, stepping forward. Soul and Tsubaki were still in weapon form but their faces flashed on their blades, staring apprehensively at the two sisters.

Patty's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, glancing at Liz. The older sister sighed. _Damn. I can't refuse that, and even if I did, there's no way Patty would stand for it. Now that I think about it, maybe it would have been easier if I'd refused Kid's offer for us to become his weapons. This is just making things complicated._ She pondered her predicament, leaving the others hanging. Then, with a jerk of her head, she summoned Patty to the bathroom, shutting the door. "What do you think?" she asked in a low voiced. Patty frowned, her let's-kick-ass gleam appearing in her eyes. "We've gotta go after him," she reasoned. The elder Thompson rolled her eyes. "Yes, but now? Stein was convinced we wouldn't be able to stand against that demon." "Come on, sis. We've been the weapons of a Grim Reaper for two years now – that has to count for something." Liz bit her lip. "Fine, we'll do it."

Exiting the bathroom, they gave identical calculating stares to BlackStar and Maka, who shifted uneasily. Then Liz rolled her eyes and gave up. "We'll come."

**Knocking me down, dragging me out**

**How did you end up in that crowd?**

Punching the air with his fist, BlackStar let out his trademark 'yahoo.' "Let's go!" They raced out the door and down the elevator, bursting through the lobby and back outside. _Now _the Americans were freaking out. A girl with a scythe, a hyperactive kid yelling something about surpassing God holding a sword, and another short-haired blonde giggling madly holding a **freaking gun. **But, weapons and meisters were well known, so they were only given incredulous stares before being ignored while people eventually turned back to what they were doing.

"Ahh, LA," Soul commented wryly.

They finally reached the weak link, a gushing creek that ran out onto a picturesque beach towards the ocean. Near the mouth was a large rock that acted like a stepping stone. Maka resonated with Soul again and slammed Genie Hunter down on the rock. "We're going in," she announced, and jumped into the portal, followed by BlackStar and Patty. Once in, they glanced around their surroundings. "Damn this is creepy," Soul muttered.

"Don't be a wuss, dude! The great ME has your back!" BlackStar shouted, only to have Patty's hand clamped over his mouth and a gun pressed to his temple for the second time that day. She let go of him eventually, giving them another one of her special glares – the shout-one-more-time-and-I'll-kill-you-before-you-have-a-chance-to-scream glare. "It's not just the place that's scary…" BlackStar said, still glancing at Patty cautiously out of the corner of his eye. They continued slowly into the land of what seemed like eternal mists and swamps. Then…

_The poor reaper underestimated me. He believes that was all there is to my power._ The team jumped and narrowed their eyes. "Show yourself!" Maka called out.

_No thanks. But someone else will._ For the second time, Kid came out of the mist being yanked around like a puppet. This time his expression wasn't one of pleading, it was one of complete… utter… _boredom._

o.O.o

"Guys, we're back!" Marie called, stepping out of the elevator onto their floor. She checked in the sunken gathering room, then in Maka, Tsubaki, and the Thompson's room. "Guys?" Now a note of panic entered her voice. She put down her bags of groceries on the couch and ran to Soul and BlackStar's room. Nobody there. "Guys?"

Stein came in and dropped another armload of groceries on the meeting room couch. "Marie, what's going on?"

"The students are gone," she said breathlessly, her eyes alight with fear. Her meister straightened up, checking quickly with his soul perception. Then he cursed and fell back on the couch. Spirit came in, followed by Kami, who was holding a single clothing bag. They immediately caught on as to what had happened.

"But where did they go?" Spirit cried as they searched the lobby and hotel grounds. Stein gave him a look.

"Where do you think?"

Kami exhaled slowly. "Kid."

**Did you run away? Did you fall apart?**

**Did you see yourself for what you are?**

o.O.o

"Well, hey guys," Kid muttered, still looking bored. "Do you have a sense of déjà vu?"

Liz snorted, her face appearing on the barrel of the gun Patty was holding. "You sound pretty okay for someone who's been tortured half to death."

Her meister rolled his eyes. He looked far worse than the last time, many more cuts, scrapes, and bruises, but he didn't seem to… _care._

**Will you be looking for it anymore**

**When five becomes four?**

Zindyll's voice sounded reproachful. _Aww, you haven't been enjoying my hospitality? That's rude. It's a five-star stay you see. You have your wonderful water bed, exercise regimen, and daily… counseling?_

Kid sighed. "So, in other words, my annoying chains that drain my power, Japanese water torture, siccing swamp creatures on me while I run until my feet are in shreds, and you coming along and threatening me with more back slicing? I'll pass on the extra night stay." Judging by his tone, he and Zindyll had similar conversations often.

_Aww, but don't you like staying here, little god?_

"I told you not to call me that."

_You don't have much power in what I do or don't do._

"True. But you're being awfully impolite, ignoring _guests_."

A misty purple blob appeared next to Kid again. He extended small tendrils of green mist towards the bound reaper. As soon as he caught sight of these, Kid flinched and a look of pure panic entered his gaze, struggling to wrench himself away from his puppet strings. _Ah. You do know what this is._ His prisoner let out a hiss, glaring at him. "I will flay you alive for this." _Once again, you aren't really in a place where you can seriously keep threats like that._ The green mist started to wrap around Kid's ankles, working its way up his legs. When it touched the large gash on his leg, the death god had to bite his lip _hard_ to keep from screaming. His friends could see the way he was trying to ignore the agonizing pain. _Give it up… you can't win, little god…_

"You're wrong!" Maka shouted. "We've come here to free him. I'll be taking your soul." She lowered Genie Hunter threateningly. The misty purple blob [A/N: what else can I call it? XD] formed into the shape of a young man with wide red eyes.

_Ohoho!_ He cackled. _Little missy has an anti-magic wavelength. Too bad it takes a _little_ more than that to kill me._

"Like this?" BlackStar yelled, sending shadows armed with sharp blades arcing towards the ghostly form. The tendrils surrounding Kid jerked him in front of Zindyll, but BlackStar had enough control to halt his shadows until they were an inch away from his friend's neck.

**When you're all alone with the melody**

**Do you close your eyes and think of me?**

_Much more control than last time. You're learning, my young assassin. Come and join me and you will have all the power you need to surpass God._

"Yeah, when this hell freezes over!" the meister retorted angrily. "Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it. And when I surpass God, it'll be on my own terms, my way, my power. A showdown with Kid here, most likely. So if you don't mind we'll be taking him back." He manipulated the shadows so the forced Kid away, holding him a few feet back as the rest shot razor-sharp edges at Zindyll.

Still cackling, the demon avoided and the shadows sliced through… thin air. _Told you. No power you have will be sufficient to defeat m-_ He stopped as a Genie Hunter sliced through his chest. Staring down at it for a moment, he seemed to ponder the gap between his upper torso and the rest of his body. Then he winced for a brief moment and connected himself again. _See? Not so bad. Admittedly more damaging than shadows, but slight nonetheless._

Kid was working hard to get away from the green cloud, which had by now wrapped its way around most of his chest and arms. He was letting out little gasps as it seeped into all the open cuts lining his arms and back, still biting back a cry of pain. Patty fired a dozen shots in quick succession, Zindyll looking like Swiss cheese for a moment before growing back. No matter what the team tried, nothing seemed to be making a sizable dent.

**Will you still hear me singing anymore**

**When five becomes four?**

As Zindyll kept up his mad cackle, regrowing limbs, dodging Genie Hunters and taunting shadows, Kid was growing worse and worse. The green stuff seemed to be a kind of poison gas, for he was becoming rapidly more pale than he usually was, if that was possible. Fading fast, he knew he had to tell his friends. There was only one way to defeat an elder demon, and he didn't like it one bit. But… it had to be done.

**Try and put aside**

**Your history and pride**

**Maybe for one moment in time**

**We'll all be on your side**

"Guys! You have to listen! The only way you can kill him is simple – it demands a sacrifice! A demon needs the souls of ninety-nine witches and the soul of one Shinigami to become revived or born, but the way to kill it demands-" A shot rang out and Kid stopped midsentence, taking a shuddering gasp before slumping, only held up by the mist. It was easy to see where he'd been hit – on his left side, possibly in the stomach. His eyes fluttered rapidly and he began to sink into unconsciousness.

Garn stepped out from behind one of the many gnarled black trees, Les in his hands as a rifle, still smoking. He was grinning wildly. "Mind if I join the party?"

"No thanks, we were first on the waiting list," another voice boomed from behind them. Some sort of blade, attached to a chain, zipped out at lightning speed and nearly clipped Garn on the shoulder, but he jumped away just in time. As the blade retracted more slowly, they recognized it for what it was – a guillotine blade. Spinning around, Maka and BlackStar were met with the sight of Stein standing there with Marie in his grip, Kami with Genie Hunter, and Justin calmly pulling the chain protruding from his arm back. Stein, the one who had spoken, frowned at his students. "I – thought – we – warned – you – to – stay – out of it," he growled between gritted teeth, green eyes flickering over the younger meisters.

"Just a suggestion, but could you save the telling off for later? I'm kind of dying over here," a weak rasp reprimanded him. Kid had lifted his head again, eyes squinting in pain. Nodding, the normally crazy professor analyzed the amused purple misty blob [A/N: I really need to come up with better descriptors…] in front of him. Then he grinned widely.

"Fufufu… I think I'd like to dissect you now."

**The story goes, nobody knows**

**What it was like when you were through**

**Someone who cared out in the air**

**Didn't let them crash down anywhere**

Rolling her eyes at Stein, Kami came running forward to swipe at Zindyll. Skidding back after dodging an answering retaliation, she landed next to her daughter. She nodded at Maka, and together the two women rushed forward, slicing in unison, two Genie Hunters working together. Even Zindyll lost his mad cackle, but smiled slowly. BlackStar lashed out with shadows, Patty fired shots, and Stein attempted to drive his wavelength into the demon. But nothing was working. Justin was keeping Garn busy, easily deflecting shots with his blades then trying to wrap a neck shackle guard around his opponent's legs.

Kid called out in a hoarse whisper, "You need more-" he coughed, almost hacking "-power than that!"

With a terse dip of his head, Stein's large blue soul expanded around him, followed by Kami, Justin, Maka, BlackStar, and Patty. Then Kid spat some blood out and tried to ignite his own wavelength. The rest of them were already connected – **"Resonance Link!"** – but his blue soul was flickering out. Patty shook her head at him and Liz shouted, "Conserve your strength!" but the reaper wouldn't listen. Finally, taking a deep breath, Kid cleared his throat… and sang.

"_The fire of battle_

_It flows all around_

_You tire of bloodshed_

_For red stains the ground._

_All seems lost_

_And nothing is won_

_But as long as we fight_

_Together as one_

_We shall not be defeated_

_Ignore the pain_

_Forgive and forget_

_Everything to gain._

o

_If together our souls_

_Sing in harmony_

_Then no battle is lost_

_Join in singing with me._

o

_**Darkness craves despair aplenty**_

_**Those who mourn only feed it**_

_**As many souls, one or twenty**_

_**It doesn't matter as long as you heed it.**_

o

_Finally, the rule to remember_

_The five main powers of Death_

_Ignore them and soon you'll be taken_

_By the dark souls beyond life's breath._

o

_First, the power of dark_

_Shadowy and black_

_Second, the power of quiet_

_Evil souls never come back_

_Third, the power of grace_

_To guide you from places unknown_

_Fourth, the power impassive_

_To forget all the troubles you've sown._

o

_The fifth is the strangest of all_

_Mysterious and infernal_

_A force to be reckoned with always_

_For Death is forever eternal."_

As the notes tumbled around the air, Kid's eyes closed and he lifted his head skyward. With a resounding _bang_, his soul expanded to twice the size of even Stein's. Thrumming with power, black lightning crackled around him. His voice really was quite good, clear melodies with immense power surging just beneath the surface. The air vibrated and a single tendril snaked out from his soul to connect with Patty. Then with an almost ear-shattering thrum, their souls combined – the resonance of the rescue team magnified by hundreds by the tumbling river of Kid's raw power.

"A-amazing," BlackStar gasped. He and Maka had been having a little trouble syncing with the others, but Kid's song acted like Soul's piano, blending them together in harmony.

**Did you run away? Did you fall apart?**

**Did you see yourself for what you are?**

**Will you be looking for it anymore**

**When five becomes four?**

As if Kid had read BlackStar's mind – actually, he probably had, seeing as they were resonating – he said through their link, _hey Soul, wanna join me in a song?_ The scythe let loose a small ripple of laughter. _Why not?_ He began to play a simple tune, which in turn cascaded into powerful melody. _Something modern. Five Becomes Four, by Yellowcard?_ Kid grinned. _Okay. I think I know the lyrics._ And together they began the song.

By the time they had only gone a few stanzas in, the rest of the group had attacked. Their resonance was helping tremendously – Justin beat Garn in no more than twelve seconds, leaving him bruised, battered, and wondering what hit him – while the rest of them slashed and whirled around Zindyll. The demon, to his credit, didn't look confused or angry, just thoughtful. The kind of hmm-I-am-an-evil-genius-so-I-know-what-happens-next-but-they're-stronger-than-I-expected-time-for-a-change-of-plans look.

"_**When you're all alone with the melody**_

_**Do you close your eyes and think of me?**_

_**Will you still hear me singing anymore**_

_**When five becomes four?**_

_**Remember the line 'Never say die'**_

_**You were the reason I survived**_

_**Where did you go? I need to know**_

_**I waited here, you never showed."**_

Soul couldn't help thinking about the violin that was normally in the song, and that his brother Wes would have been good to have in this situation. But Kid did seem to know the lyrics, and the song still sounded cool on the piano. They were nearing the end of the song when he heard Tsubaki and Liz singing along some of the chorus in softer voices, complimenting Kid's main singing. _We could make a band out of this, _the scythe joked.

Then guitar joined in and they all looked over in surprise at Justin, who was clearly playing guitar in his mind much in the same way Soul played piano. _What? _He asked. _I know some guitar, and I implement music a lot while resonating by myself. This isn't much different._

"_**It's gonna be harder for me**_

_**I can't forget so many things**_

_**When you were down, I was around**_

_**Why would you try and hurt me now?"**_

_Come on, _Maka urged. _We're almost to the end of the song! Kid, how many more do you know? We need to keep this up as long as possible._

The reaper thought a moment, singing only in their minds. Somehow he managed to keep singing and answer her question. _Thousands. A lot of modern songs, as well as some older more traditional ones. You'd be surprised how many junk songs Liz and Patty listen to._ His weapons snorted. _Hey!_

"_**Just tell me why?**_

_**Just tell me why?**_

_**Did you run away**_

_**Did you run away**_

_**Did you run away…**_

_**Did you run away? Did you fall apart?**_

_**Did you see yourself for what you are?**_

_**Will you be looking for it anymore**_

_**When five becomes four?"**_

Zindyll retreated a little, recognizing their strength. _How far the mighty have fallen._ This made the Shibusen team stop and pause for a moment. _Music. The final defense of the dying? Well, let me ask you this… can a songbird sing if it has no voice?_ Eyes widening in horror, they tried to rush him, distract him, anything – but it was too late.

A slice of purple lashed out and buried itself in Kid's chest.

**When you're all alone with the melody**

**Do you close your eyes and think of me?**

**Will you still hear me singing anymore**

**When five becomes four?**

**When five becomes four**

**When five becomes four…**

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Yayy long chapter! :D

I want to thank everybody who reviewed for – wait, I have a better idea. Kid, you're gonna say it.

Kid: *groans* why are you so intent on killing me?

Me: because I'm evil. Now thank the reviewers! _Or else…_

Kid: Fine, fine… *grumbles* Thank you - *takes deep breath* - PandaBearSoul, Just-Me-and-My-Brain, ChronaGorgonxDeathTheKid, and all the others that reviewed.

Me: that's it?

Kid: yes, I forgot the rest. Look you have NO right to talk! I have been tortured, poisoned, chased, imprisoned, drained of my power, tortured some more, shot in the shoulder, shot in the stomach, nearly beheaded by my teammate's shadow, poisoned again, sung three songs, made to come up with, what, four poems in like two days, sing them all, and _tortured some more!_

Me: -.- so?

Kid: _**IT FREAKING HURTS!**_

Me: … ^.^

Kid: ;A; why? What have I ever done to you?

Me: hmm… ^.^'

Kid: STOP MAKING THAT FACE!

Me: no. :P

BlackStar: YAHOO! I WILL SURPASS YOU KID!

Kid: o\/o that does it. **DIE, ALL OF YOU! ***unleashes reaper powers*

BlackStar: AAAAAAAAHHH- *dies*

Me: teeheehee you can't hurt me cuz I'm the author! XP

Kid: *dies of exertion*

Me: aww, I'm all alone… oh well *hands their bodies to Stein* here, you can dissect them now…

Stein: :] fufufu…

~DeaththeKidKat


	12. Chapter 12: Sacrifice

Okay, so I have two questions I would like to propose to you readers –

What song should I do next chapter? ^.^' I kind of ran out of ideas… already

Would you rather I continue writing chapters like I do currently, pretty much a chapter every day, but kind of inconsistently? Or that I stop posting for a while, write then entire rest of the chapters, then post them all at once (or like a lot at once, spacing it out a _little _– wouldn't want to overwhelm Story Alert XD)?

Review and let me know what you think! Oh, and the song for this chapter is my personal favorite – Iridescent by Linkin Park. LISTEN TO IT WHILE READING THE CHAPTER… if you want…

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Grinning cruelly, Zindyll snapped the misty appendage back, while a small amount of blood trickled down Kid's chest as he tried to breathe normally, eyes wide and unseeing. Then the ghostly puppet strings holding him up disappeared, along with the green poison mist, and he collapsed on the murky, foggy ground and didn't move.

"Wh-what…" BlackStar whispered in shock. They managed to keep their resonance going, for while Kid was alive he could still support them. Then the blue-haired meister whirled on the demon, face contorted with an animalistic fury. "WHAT DID YOU **DO?" **He flew at him, not caring that his swings were wild or that the shadows roiling around him were striking at random. Zindyll was lavishing in the reaction. _See what happens, little god? What happens when you defy me? You end up in your rightful place – on the ground at my feet._

**You were standing in the wake of devastation**

**You were waiting on the edge of the unknown**

"You're wrong," Liz snarled. Her sister attacked with inhuman rage, firing more shots in a few seconds than should have been possibly. A white and pink tinged cloud of bullets flew over BlackStar's head, once again turning their arch enemy into temporary Swiss cheese. "He was stronger than you!"

_Hmm, yes. Stronger. I see…_ the demon drawled. _ Is that why he's lying half-dead on the ground?_

**With the cataclysm raining down insides crying 'save me now'**

**You were there, impossibly alone**

"He had something – no, two things – you could never understand. You will never appreciate them or have them in the slightest!" Maka growled. Zindyll raised a ghostly eyebrow. _And those would be…?_ The scythe meister raised Genie Hunter, face set in a mask of determination. "You'll never know anyways."

The demon shrugged. _Not like I need to._ Stein snorted. "You're lying. It's obvious, because I myself would feel the same way." Zindyll gave the professor a hard stare. _You don't believe me when I say I don't care? Well, correct, because a small part of me does want to know. It's annoying really – but don't fret, this feeling will vanish as soon as I awaken fully. All I have to do is eat the soul of your precious little reaper child over there, and you're all finished. And these interfering primitive human emotions will go away for good._ Smiling slightly, he added, _that is the true difference between me and Asura. Asura was weak, and gave in to his fear. I am strong. Fear does not weaken me. I know what it is to be brave, but I scorn it for bravery retains no real value._ Stein shook his head, smiling, and adjusted his glasses. "Then you know that Asura was defeated by a simple punch? One punch from a supposedly helpless girl showed him what bravery is. And it destroyed him. I have a feeling you won't be much different-"

He was about to go on with his lecture when a jolt of soul activity through the team's resonance link distracted him. Kid was getting back up, and the grievous wound was… was…

"It's gone?" Garn gasped. Several eyes flicked over to him, briefly remembering he was there, then dismissing him.

The gigantic slice was half closed up. It looked like it had originally snapped the middle of Kid's collarbone in half, but it had fused together again and the skin was closing up. Kid's eyes were still closed, but he stood up slowly, first a crouch, then bending down, then standing upright, looking beaten, bruised, battered… and powerful.

Smiling slightly, Kid opened his golden eyes and fixed them on a for-once-in-his-evil-life-speechless Zindyll. "But the party can't start without me." Grinning, the rest of the team turned back to the ghost in front of them, missing the small flicker of sadness that passed through those two-toned gold eyes.

**Do you feel cold and lost in desperation**

**You build up hope, but failure's all you've known**

**Remember all the sadness and frustration**

**And let it go, let it go…**

o.O.o

Liz mentally nudged Patty, who nodded. The younger sister tossed Liz towards Kid, then flashed after her in weapon form. Kid caught them easily. "Now we can really get started." They started to resonate, rivers of power pouring into the stream of linked souls.

"**Soul Resonance." **They said it slowly and with purpose, instead of shouting it like they normally would have. Quickly expanding into cannons, the sisters realized with a start that they were different. "Hey, Kid…" "I know." Their meister grinned. "We're stepping it up a notch." His Death Cannons were almost all black, with only the skull symbols and barrels gleaming silver. They were also longer, slimmer, and they seemed to _radiate _death.

This time, instead of announcing 'Death Cannon' Kid simply fired again and again, like he had during the battle against the Kishin. Shot after shot, immense clouds of skull-shaped smoke, and much coughing from those surrounding. But Zindyll's 'injuries' healed in seconds.

**And in a burst of light that blinded every angel**

**As if the sky had blown the heavens into stars**

They had to end this battle quickly. And Kid knew the only way to do that was a sacrifice that had to be made. His father had known – they had discussed it before the first meeting, where Kid had fallen to his knees after sensing the immense power of an elder demon breaking free. But now was his chance to act. It was now or never.

Liz and Patty seemed to realize where his thoughts were going, and since they were resonating directly, they picked up most of what was going through his mind. _You __**cannot **__be serious, _Liz muttered. Unfortunately the others heard it through their more indirect link. _Serious about what? _Maka asked, well, seriously. Sighing, Kid let a small wave of annoyance flow over his weapons.

_Look, like I was about to say before Zindyll gutted me, was that to win – to defeat him – requires one key element. It takes ninety-nine witch souls and the soul of a Shinigami to revive or give birth to a demon, so to defeat one it takes the five powers of Death and the three elements humanity cannot live without, _the reaper explained. _But to activate the powers of Death, and the elements of humanity, they require each other. And an additional sacrifice._

BlackStar was still confused. _Okay, what sacrifice?_

_You need-_ Kid choked up. _You need to sacrifice a soul._ This was met with silence. Then, _Well, who has a death wish? _Maka hissed at her weapon. _Soul! Do you really have to ask if someone has a death wish? Suicide? Well, sacrifice?_ The scythe snorted. _Just making sure._

_No, not a human- that is, yes, not a human soul… _Kid was tripping over his words, and they could see him blinking fast. _A different soul is… required. _He took a deep breath, then said it in a rush. Two words.

_My soul._

**You felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space**

**No one there to catch you in their arms**

o.O.o

Two words. Small, simple, one syllable words. They could have been anything. 'Of course.' 'No way.' 'Let's go.' 'Oh crap.' Anything but what had come out of Kid's mouth- soul- thing. From now on the battle would be meaningless, any intended words of comfort pointless. Nothing could change the fact that here, now, Kid had been intending to give his life this whole time. He hadn't told his weapons, his teammates, his rescuers, certainly not his captor. His father knew, most likely. But Shinigami-sama was like his son at times – secretive, stubborn, and unwilling to give in. Two words – destruction, damnation, irrevocable sadness.

_My soul._

**Do you feel cold and lost in desperation**

**You build up hope but failure's all you've known**

**Remember all the sadness and frustration**

**And let it go, let it go**

The Shibusen team was shocked when they saw Kid, still in a crouch with cannons outstretched, turn his face half to them, still looking ahead, and growl, "Shut up. I'll do what needs to be done, and none of you will stop me. It only works if a Shinigami soul is sacrificed. I've always known that – the only reason I hid it was because I had to." A single tear slipped down his face. "So just- shut up. You're not the worst off here. I can still do my duty as a reaper if I'm dead – I can still guide souls. And I will do my duty – and protect this world – till my last breath and beyond."

Everyone was silent. Zindyll, naturally, kept cackling.

**Do you feel cold and lost in desperation**

**You build up hope but failure's all you've known**

**Remember all the sadness and frustration**

**And let it go, let it go**

Kid turned away and focused on Zindyll. _Distract him at all costs. I'll handle the rest._

And the battle of their lives began anew.

o.O.o

_Kid… you can't really leave us…_ Liz and Patty were sobbing. But their meister had closed himself off to them, not a word or a sound. Then he reached out through their link with the entire team. _Soul. _The scythe answered warily, _yeah? _Kid sighed. _Do you know how to play Iridescent by Linkin Park?_ With a small wave of apprehension, he replied, _yes… you want another song?_

With the smallest of smiles, the reaper said aloud, "A death wish… yes."

So Soul began playing.

o.O.o

'_**Let it go**_

_**Let it go**_

_**Let it go**_

_**Let it go**_

o

_**Do you feel cold and lost in desperation**_

_**You build up hope but failure's all you've known**_

_**Remember all the sadness and frustration**_

_**And let it go…'**_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Another short chapter. I know. I hate myself too.

So, please review and answer the 'poll!' I should have another chapter up tomorrow, depending on what you say… but I'll tally up the votes and put it in the next A/N.

**Just-Me-and-My-Brain:** whaa? D: you don't like songfics? Oh well… XD the next few chapters probably won't have any anyways, because they'll take a rather interesting turn that I hope you guys will like… ^.^' please don't hate me :'( but I can guarantee the last one will be, because the lyrics to the song I've chosen are kind of depressing and it… fits… the ending. But don't fret! My friend, _ (I have yet to find out her screen name – she forgot to tell me on the bus o\/o), will write an amazing sequel! :D

Kid: am I really gonna die? ;A;

Me: yes. yes you are.

Kid: I hate you

Me: I know.

~DeaththeKidKat


	13. Chapter 13: Maze

And… chapter 13! :D

So I've decided I'll stick with writing it the way I have been for now. But unfortunately school is starting to pick up so I might not post every day… ;A;

**Vampireninja101: **okay, you have joined the ranks of the many people who are complaining about Kid dying. Congratulations :P now NOTE TO ALL: _yes _Kid will probably – **probably** – die, no he's not going to disappear forever. I'll let sesame2009 explain when she takes over and writes the sequel. Haha then she'll have to deal with you screaming bloody murder…

Song: Lost by Coldplay

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Zindyll sighed and regarded them all tiredly. _This is getting rather annoying. Yes, great singing little god, but it gets old._ Yawning, he stretched, then grinned. _I have an idea. Let's make this into a little bit of a game show! I'll make a maze, and you run through it. Whoever makes it to the middle claims the prize. No alliances and no mercy!_ He said it all cheerfully. What a twisted evil soul.

"The prize?" Maka asked warily.

_Smart little lassie. You find out the prize when you win. But…_ he regarded them for a moment. _I'm afraid little god can't compete. I'll take him to the middle…_ Ignoring all the Death Cannons fired his way, he easily wrapped more misty tendrils around the reaper, who thrashed and glared, but he had been tortured for a few weeks now and unleashed a lot of power. He couldn't keep going forever.

**Just because I'm losing**

**Doesn't mean I'm lost**

_Well… see you at the end._ With that, the ghostly form disappeared, taking Kid with him but somehow forcing Liz and Patty to return to gun form. Noticing his chance, Kid tossed the guns at BlackStar right before disappearing with Zindyll.

"Damn – ZINDYLL!" BlackStar yelled, almost dropping Liz and Patty, who transformed to humans.

Maka growled. "You've got to be- CRAP!" She hit a tree hard with her fist. "We were this close, so many times. And then he keeps taking Kid with him. Just then the ground rumbled. Staring around, the team separated briefly. Huge stone walls shot up between them, somehow knocking the weapons out of the meister's hands and dividing them. It was everyone for themselves.

They had no choice but to continue into the maze.

o.O.o

Maka

"Damn!" she cursed as she rounded another bend only to come across the sixteenth dead end in the last five minutes.

**Doesn't mean I'll stop**

**Doesn't mean I'm across**

Running around was definitely not helping Kid. Neither was pounding the walls – in fact, that just hurt more. Maka had found that out the hard way. Just then she heard a voice, muffled but distinct. "Maka?"

Eyes widening in hope, she called, "Soul?" 

Her weapon didn't answer for a moment. Then, "Thank God it's you. I ran into BlackStar a minute ago – like from across a wall – and dear _lord _I am not going through that again." Maka suppressed a giggle.

"Is there any way you could transform over the wall?"

"I tried that with BlackStar. It's no good, near the top I get paralyzed and just fall back down in scythe form."

"Oh."

A loud sigh came from Soul's side. "Well, there's not much of a chance we'll meet up again. This maze is _complicated._ We just have to find our own way through. See…" he hesitated. "See you at the middle?"

"At the middle," his meister agreed, then she ran off quickly. _That settles it. I have to get out of here, fast. I need to reach the middle and find Kid – maybe sort out what this whole 'prize' deal is about. Knowing that twisted demon it's nothing good._

She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't notice the strange soul until she bumped into something had and scaly. Flying back on her butt, Maka got up, cursing. "The hell…" She felt like sitting down again.

Standing in front of her was one of those spiky-tailed swamp creatures, except it was twice as tall as before – almost twenty feet. This was definitely _not cool._

o.O.o

Soul

Sighing in frustration, the weapon transformed his arm into a scythe, then kept running. With any luck they'd get out of here soon, with Kid too. _If only I had soul perception like Maka… this would be so much easier._ Then his eyes widened. _Crap! Soul perception! I should have told Maka to use that!_ But even though the scythe didn't have soul perception, he could hear. And the roar from just up ahead didn't exactly sound friendly.

**Just because I'm hurting**

**Doesn't mean I'm hurt**

Gulping, he had no choice but to continue forward. Flattening himself against one wall, the albino dared to peek around the corner.

_Oh crap._

o.O.o

BlackStar

"Damn! This place isn't suited for a great star like me!"

He'd tried blasting the walls with his wavelength, but nothing happened. Clearly they were reinforced with magic. Stopping to admire himself for using a big word like _reinforced_, the assassin heard the roar from somewhere off to his left, and an answering one from even further away. This was followed by a not very manlike strangled yell that was obviously Soul.

Clanging from scythe against scales ensued, and BlackStar wanted nothing more than to run back and help him. But he had to continue on.

**Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserved**

**No better and no worse**

If only he had Tsubaki, this would be a breeze. But he didn't, and a good assassin always knew that many battles can be won even without a weapon.

Weapons sure helped though.

o.O.o

Tsubaki

The gentle weapon ran quickly through the maze. "Oh, I hope BlackStar's all right," she whispered to herself. Who knew what kind of trouble her hyperactive meister would get into in a place like this.

**I just got lost**

Summoning one half of her kasarigama, the chain fused to her ponytail, she continued on. Luckily Tsubaki had excellent senses and could clearly smell the rancid breath of the swamp monster.

_Not again…_

o.O.o

Liz and Patty

By some miracle, Liz and Patty were the only ones left together. Maybe it was because they had stayed in gun form, shocked for a moment. The resonance between the team had been broken, and it was a little shaky. Naturally, being the scaredy-cat she was, the elder Thompson was in gun form held by her sister.

**Every river that I tried to cross**

"Come on, Patty," she instructed the younger pistol. "We have to get to Kid. Let's double-time it!" Being pumped up with rage as she was, Patty blasted the swamp monster that tried to attack them like its brothers had their other teammates into little pieces, stopping to stuff the soul quickly into her sister's clip.

When something got Patty mad, nobody in her way survived.

o.O.o

Justin

Humming along with his song, the death scythe leapt neatly around corners and across gaping cliffs and chasms. The swamp monster he ran into was fairly small, and only took four point nine seconds to rip apart. He saved the soul for later, to give to Lord Death.

Justin wondered what the prize was. He hoped it was a cool set of headphones. That would be awesome. The thought spurred him on faster. Of course, the main objective was to rescue Shinigami-sama's son, but the headphones would be a definite bonus.

**Every door I ever tried was locked**

**Ohh and I'm just waiting till the shine wears off**

o.O.o

Kid

Damn. Zindyll was possibly the most annoying opponent in the world. Aside from a certain spiky-haired assassin, of course.

Again with the screen. Watching his friends jump around nearly getting eaten by swamp monsters. It was funny – this was actually rather boring.

**You might be a big fish in a little pond**

**Doesn't mean you've won**

'**Cause along may come a bigger one**

"How many more times are you going to shackle me up and force me to watch my friends running around?" the reaper asked his captor tiredly.

_Oh, this isn't for your entertainment. I find it extremely funny._ Kid rolled his eyes. Of course _Zindyll _would find it funny. Not like the rest of them did.

**And you'll be lost**

**Every river that you tried to cross**

**Every gun you ever had went off**

"Yes, we've established that. So what's the prize anyways?"

_Oh, easy. Well… I'll tell you if you sing a song._

"No way."

_Aww, no fair. Well, I'll tell you anyways, because you can't warn them. I've made sure of that._ He extended a ghostly hand, indicating the misty bubble that Kid was floating in. _But it's really simple actually…_

**Ohh and I'm just waiting till the firing stops**

**Ohh and I'm just waiting till the shine wears off**

**Ohh and I'm just waiting till the shine wears off**

_The prize is your soul._

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

terribly short. ;A; I know… I really hate myself sometimes :/

hopefully the next chapter will be up tomorrow!

Kid: a maze? Not very original, huh.

Me: hmph! Not very nice, huh.

Kid: o.O you copied my speech pattern

Me: shut up perfectionist. 'night, readers~!

~DeaththeKidKat


	14. Chapter 14: Found

Well hopefully this chapter will be longer. :3 we'll see. But prepare for lots of maze running! XD

Song: the Traveling Song from Madagascar 2 by Will.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Maka

"Damn," Maka cursed, glaring up at the hulking swamp monster. She heard Soul yell something that sounded like-

"_Ohcrapthatthing'shugewhatthehell?"_ She sighed. At least her weapon had a _weapon._ The meisters would be close to helpless. Well, maybe not BlackStar. Right on cue-

"_Shitwhatthehellisthat?"_ That blue-haired meister was going to be the death of all of them. Shaking her head, the scythe meister focused back on the monster in front of her. _I have to get past him, and run as fast as possible. We have to get to the middle – to Kid._

**I've been around the world in the pouring rain**

**Feeling out of place and feeling strange**

Dashing at the monster, she evaded several jabs of his tail, flipping over to land slightly clumsily on his scaly back. The tail came up too fast to avoid, and managed to give her a small cut on one leg. Swearing, she punched the tail surprising even the girl herself. Whipping the appendage back, the monster just regarded her, puzzled. Grinning, Maka saluted, jumped down, and sprinted around several tight corners, glancing back to make sure the thing wasn't following. It wasn't. Slumping against the wall for a moment, the blonde checked her leg to find it was only a shallow scrape. Right as she was about to keep running-

"_!"_ Maka had a feeling a certain swamp monster was going to find its tail in her classroom once the mission was over.

o.O.o

Marie

"Huhh… I'm lost!" the blonde death scythe wailed. She'd heard Steins mad cackle of glee – something about dissecting, _quelle surprise_, and kept moving. Her meister could handle himself. Turning her arm into a hammer, she peered around a corner to find another swamp monster. Sighing, she pounded the thing into the ground and continued on.

As soon as this was over, she was going to have a very long shower.

"_Holycrapthatthing'!"_ Spirit would never learn.

o.O.o

Spirit

Spirit grew several long black scythe blades out of his arm and back, then rushed at the monster, swiping and jabbing. "I bet you thought you could get past me so you could harm my baby Maka!" he yelled angrily. "Think again, you hideous freak!" He cut it quickly to pieces, then pocketed the red Kishin egg soul. He heard a voice call out a few walls over-

"Hey Spirit, mind saving a piece of your monster's tail for me? I might have accidentally destroyed mine…" Grimacing, the scythe picked up a spike from the tail as well as a few scales and kept running. His darling girl was probably already in the center – he had to catch up.

**Take me to a place where they know my name**

**Where everyone knows my name**

o.O.o

Kami

_I made a promise to you, Sakina, _the former meister told herself. _I will find and protect your son._

The swamp monster that met her was not as lucky as Maka's – it got a powerful blast of wavelength the minute it turned around and ribboned into a small red soul. Kami ignored it and kept running. She had to get to the center. Plus… Kid was dear to her too, not just because of his mother. She could still remember the day she met him…

"_Who's this?" a younger Kami inquired dully, staring uncomprehendingly at the small child in Shinigami's arms._

"_Death the Kid" was the reaper's only answer._

_So this was the child of Sakina. Moving over to him carefully, Kami peered down at him. His skin was pale and his hair jet-black, with three slightly faded white stripes emblazoned on the left side of his head. When he opened his eyes, the woman examining him leapt back in shock._

_Two-toned beautiful golden eyes… exactly like his mothers'._

Snapping back to the present, Kami skidded to a stop. There was a strange wall of mist in front of her. Were those… _words _floating in the curtain of fog? It read, 'You've found the way by thinking true, of the one who matters most to you.'

Matters most? She had a daughter. Perhaps it meant at that moment, her thoughts had been wrapped up in her so-called nephew. Of course she loved him, but Maka was her flesh and blood.

But Kid was Sakina's.

o.O.o

Liz and Patty

**Check it check it out I'm about to do my thing**

**King of the floor, King of the swing**

Patty ran faster than she thought possible, as if she wasn't just trying to find her meister, she was trying to leave behind the thoughts that she refused to contemplate for fear of them coming true.

"Onee-chan… we'll find Kid, right?" the younger sister asked tremulously.

"Of course, Patty. Nobody steals from the Thompson sisters without paying the price."

Smiling slightly, Patty ran on. This maze seemed unending. Was there any way out?

"_Aaaahhwhatthehell?"_ Sniggering, the older Thompson remarked, "That sounded like Soul. Again. Wonder how many monster's he's run into?" Patty laughed. As she sprinted along, she couldn't help remembering the first Christmas they had spent with Kid…

_Patty had woken up early, yawning for a split second before darting into the room over and shaking her sister roughly. "Wake up sis! It's Christmas!" Grumbling, the elder Thompson rolled out of bed, only to be left behind abruptly as the hyperactive thirteen-year-old ran off to wake their meister._

"_Kid! WAKE UP!" Jumping on the sleeping reaper, Patty giggled as he woke with a start, automatically summoning shadows. When he realized it was simply his weapon, he relaxed, then frowned at her._

"_Why did you wake me up? Is it eight yet?" Nodding enthusiastically, the demon gun pointed at the clock in answer. It read 8:00._

_As she half ran, half fell down the stairs, Patty could barely keep from screaming in joy. It was CHRISTMAS! She ran to inspect the truckload of presents at the bottom of their massive tree. Kid had made sure that all the decorations were perfectly even, and had stayed up late last night arranging all their presents into order. Eyes widening, Patty counted at least twenty perfectly wrapped presents with her name on them._

_The minute Liz stepped off the bottom step of the staircase, she was dragged over to the tree. "Look, onee-chan! You got some gifts too!"_

_Kid came downstairs, smiling, still buttoning up his perfectly pressed white dress shirt. Today it had red cuffs, buttons, and collar, in honor of the holiday. Even his socks were green._

"_Um, Patty… you might want to change…?" he called out helpfully, raising an eyebrow at Patty's yellow onesie that had giraffes running down the sides evenly – something her OCD meister had insisted on._

**Play a little BRB a dancing machine**

**Play a little jam I'll come alive, alive, alive**

_She'd demolished the present pile quickly after breakfast. Without warning, she flew at Kid, wearing one of many giraffe scarfs around her neck. Bowling her meister over, she tackle-hugged him hard._

"_Patty – can't – breathe –" he choked. When she released him, he looked down in dismay. Patty had ruined the creases on his shirt, and nearly torn it in half. Damn, she was strong. Just as he was about to throw a fit about the symmetry, his golden eyes met the younger sister's earnest blue ones. Letting out his breath in a huff, Kid smiled._

"_Merry Christmas."_

"Patty, look out!" Liz's frantic voice called her sister back from memories of the past. Barely skidding to a stop, the blonde demon gun inspected the wall of mist suspiciously.

"What's thi-" Just then, writing had begun to appear in the fog.

'When you remember what is lost,

What is lost will be found.'

Without hesitating, Patty reached her hand out – and went through the mist.

o.O.o

Soul

Soul cursed. He'd given the damn monster some nasty scratches, but then it had kind of… split in two? Definitely one of the weirdest things he'd ever seen, and he lived inside the soul of a Grim Reaper. Oh well.

Anyways, the creepy thing fell into two pieces, from them emerging a smaller monster. That's when Soul had yelped, _"Aaaahhwhatthehell?"_

Slicing the smaller one to pieces, he ate its soul quickly, then continued on. His friend was out there somewhere, probably being tortured _again_ by that Zindyll dude.

Hurting his friends was not cool.

"_So Soul. How have you been?" Kid inquired cooly, but with a flicker of concern in his two-toned golden eyes._

"_Hmm?" The scythe was busy watching the basketball game unfolding in front of them._

"_That wound you took in the chest," the reaper explained, reaching over and tapping his shirt with the back of his hand. Soul sighed._

"_Eh, it's fine." He gazed at Maka sadly._

"_You can just forget like that?"_

_Smiling, the weapon leaned back. "She's been working hard with Crona. I don't want to spoil that."_

"_I get it." Kid gave him one of those rare, soft smiles._

"_Besides, dwelling on the past ain't cool." He ran off to give Crona some tips about his torso position and holding the ball down by his chest. The young death god sat on the bench and gazed at his friends with an unreadable look in his eyes. That look gave Soul a pang when he noticed it – it was like a clear message, 'You are mortal. I am not.' But immortal or not, Kid was their friend._

_Was his friend._

**This is my home**

**This is my home**

**King of the throne**

**This is my home**

"Ack!" Soul yelped as he stopped right before hitting the wall of murky fog. Huh? Was that writing?

To regain a friend

Seek out to mend.

Grinning his trademark shark-toothed smile, Soul stepped through the mist.

o.O.o

Stein

It was too bad he destroyed that monster. It could have been fun to dissect. Oh well. He reached up and cranked his screw a few times as he ran. _I have to find Kid first._

He remembered the day before Kid's first school day, when he was challenged by BlackStar. Lord Death had required the teachers meet his son beforehand, if they hadn't already.

"_Death the Kid." A slight, pale-skinned boy nodded to Stein. His hair was carefully neat, with three perfectly spaced white lines surrounding exactly half of his head. The next Grim Reaper. The heir to the Death God throne._

My, this will be interesting…_ Stein thought as he nodded back. "Franken Stein. You may call me Professor Stein, seeing as I'll be your teacher starting tomorrow."_

_Death the Kid smiled slightly. Even Stein was taken aback – it was a smile unlike any other. Cold, calculating, powerful, in control, and knowing it. This boy certainly will be an asset to the DWMA, and later, a powerful reaper. _Fufufu. _Stein grinned and twisted his screw._

"_I will see you in classes tomorrow," Kid threw over his shoulder as he turned and walked down the hallway. "I look forward to it."_

Stein, unlike any of the others, wasn't taken by surprise. He saw the cloudy veil as he approached it and slowed, a tiny bit uncertain. _Ah, of course. Writing. A simple spell, it would seem._

A student to teach, there to learn

Is sometimes hard to discern.

And the professor walked through the fog.

o.O.o

Kid

Finally. Kid watched as Stein, Patty, Soul, and Maka all came to the barrier of mist at the same time.

And stepped through.

Eyes widened, the four glanced first at each other, then at Kid.

The young reaper was chained to a pillar of purple glowing amethyst in the middle of what looked like an endless clearing. Endless waving grass under a twilight sky, in between dark and light. The chains that wrapped around Kid's wrists and arms were giving off a faint blue light as well. Kid himself looked almost exactly like he did when they last saw him, except…

**This is my home**

**This is my home**

**This is my home**

"Your stripes!" Maka gasped. They were giving off a faint glow like the rock behind him. The meisters could almost feel the humming power.

The young reaper rasped painfully, "BlackStar's… coming… give him a minute." Then he laughed hoarsely as he realized what he'd just told them to do.

In the distance…

"_YAHOO!"_

o.O.o

BlackStar

"Where is that damn middle?" the assassin cursed. Then he had an idea. "Hey, Tsubaki, are you on the other side of the wall. He heard a faint "yes" and grinned. "I'm gonna try something, stand back."

Focusing, he summoned his wavelength into his palm. But this time he kept it there, the power crackling higher and higher. _They took my friend. _More electricity. _Nobody gets away with that. _Thoughts of Kid somehow entered his wavelength, filling it with righteous anger. _I… will… surpass… __**God!**_With that, he slammed his fist into the wall. With a loud rumble and cracking noise, the stone shifted and opened. Leaping through, the spiky-haired meister executed a neat somersault and ended up in a crouch next to a proud Tsubaki. Just then the wall of mist appeared before him.

Through thick and thin, the shadows fight

Alongside Death's might.

And together weapon and meister entered the middle.

o.O.o

All

Soul, Maka, and Patty gaped at BlackStar as he walked into the clearing out of nowhere. One second he wasn't there, and the next there was a small cloud of mist and he stepped through, followed by Tsubaki. Immediately, the fog closed up and disappeared.

_Right, now we can get the party started!_ Zindyll's ghostly form appeared, smiling from ear to ear maniacally.

BlackStar snarled at the sight of him. "You…" he breathed heavily. "I'll kill you for what you've done!"

_Aww. That's not very nice._

Kid glared at the pale, misty figure. "Shut… the hell… up." Zindyll laughed.

_And after all I've done for you? Tsk, tsk._ He brightened up. _No matter. Let us continue! Ready to claim your prize? Well, actually, I believe the pretty blonde with the gun stepped through the gateway first. You get first pick!_ The crazy demon was still grinning widely.

Patty just stared him down. "What prize?" she seethed.

_Oh, I forgot to tell you? Silly me. You get Kid's soul!_

The team inhaled sharply. "You're just going to give him to us?" Stein asked, suspicious yet nonchalant at the same time. Keeping his cool. BlackStar, however, scowled, and motioned for Tsubaki to transform to Enchanted Sword. She complied.

_Put your weapon down, silly boy. And… no, actually you can't have his soul._ Patty growled. _Watch the teeth, missy. But… you can decide how I torture him! Or what he has to run through next! See, the swamp monsters are let loose and Kid runs either over sharp rocks, thorns, thick undergrowth, or if I'm feeling nice, a field of pinecones. Either way it hurts. It's awfully funny to watch! Which one will you choose? I'd recommend the rocks, personally, but it doesn't matter._ The demon shrugged.

Soul transformed into a scythe and Maka pointed it at Zindyll, yelling in anger. "No way are we going to choose! We won't help you torture our friend!"

Zindyll looked bored at her threat. _That's not very entertaining, but all right. I suppose I'll have to come up with a different incentive… oh I know! Since you won, girlie, you and your gun sister there can sit by and watch while Kid fights your other friends again!_ Zindyll beamed.

He was met by shocked, surly, and furious looks. And a bored glare from Kid. _You're a depressing lot._

**See I've been traveling, been traveling forever**

But Kid was yanked out of his chains by more purple mist and dragged over to BlackStar, Maka, and Stein. He still looked rather bored. When his teammates refused to fight, Zindyll pondered a moment. _Would you rather I just demolished the DWMA?_ He demanded irritably. This made the three meisters start and Kid's eyes widen.

"You wouldn't dare," the young death god spat.

_Of course I would. Weren't you listening?_

**But now that I found a home, feels like I'm in heaven**

Stein charged Kid and tried to blast him with his wavelength. A wall of fog was keeping Liz and Patty back, while allowing them to see clearly with a spell that rendered the fog clear. Kid dodged this attack neatly, still impassive, and sent out some shadows to counter BlackStar's sword thrust. Parrying a cut from Maka, he danced backwards. The mist disappeared, much to all their shock, and Kid stared at the shadows roiling around him. He had no choice.

Smiling sadly, he came up with a plan.

**See I've been traveling, been traveling forever**

**But now that I'm home, feels like I'm in heaven**

As his shadows protected him, Kid mulled over his songs in his mind, and the three elements of humanity. There was only one way. Taking a deep breath, he stood and let the shadows slow and remain at his feet for a moment. Turning to Zindyll, he smiled triumphantly. "But we can beat you, you annoying demon."

A flicker of some unreadable emotion crossed the ghosts face, but he crossed his arms and grinned. _You'd really do that? The last of the Shinigami?_

"In a heartbeat."

_Foolish reaper boy._

"Not as foolish as you." With this Kid stepped back a little, and his shadows coiled around Patty, BlackStar, Maka, and Stein. Stein he carefully set down further behind him, but arranged the others so that BlackStar was on his right, Maka his left, and placed Patty in between him and the blue-haired assassin. Liz seemed to understand what he was doing and transformed to human, standing between Kid and Maka. Finally the reaper smiled his special smile, took a deep breath, and did the first of the three motions in his sequence that usually called up the purple skull on the floor in front of him.

Zindyll regarded this quietly, pondering the outcome.

In a voice not his own, Kid intoned loudly, "Zindyll. The elements of humanity, and the powers of Death working together, will be your downfall." His voice radiated power.

"**The elements of humanity, the things mortals cannot live without."**

"**Soul." **The scythe reverted to human form and stepped in front of Kid, dipping his head. **"The element of smiles – that which gives happiness and recieves kindness."**

"**BlackStar." **He let go of Tsubaki, who also switched to human, and stood next to Soul. **"The element of laughter – that which gives pleasure and receives with grace."**

"**And hope. I am hope, for I am Death. And Death, thought to be a void, can give hope. Only the strong can see it."** Nodding to the two boys, who returned to their spots – Soul to beside his meister – Kid continued on in the same voice. His eyes remained closed.

"**The powers of Death, that govern life."**

"**Tsubaki." **Catiously, she stood before him and dipped her head like Soul had. **"In the blackness, its shadows long, bending to meet the souls who have gone, Death is dark, you won't come back, forever seeking what you lack."** She returned to her place, a curious black orb floating before her. Her yellow, ponytailed soul was shown drifting inside.

"**Liz." **His weapon walked forward and bowed her head with a slight smile. **"Always silent, creeping up, on the dead and parting, like a clear glass cup, Death is quiet, seeing through, all the impurities, honest and true." **As she slowly went back to her spot, the same black orb except with her own pink, cowboy-hat-toting soul was encased inside.

"**Maka."** The blonde slowly shuffled forward, nodding to him politely, a little in awe. **"Slowly approaching, embracing the lost, who must find their way, no matter the cost, Death is graceful, guiding them through, the echoes of sin, to be reborn anew." **Maka stared in wonder at the orb containing her orange soul with its tiny pigtails that was frowning sullenly within the tiny container.

"**Patty."** The younger Thompson bounced forward eagerly. **"It seeks you out, and doesn't care, does only it's duty, the duty to share, Death is impassive, before souls depart, preparing them slowly, for change to the heart."** She tried to poke the black orb, containing her excited pink soul, but reluctantly bounded back to her place on Kid's right.

"**And finally, me." **The reaper opened his eyes and stepped forward. **"Death is eternal, everlasting and black, for souls who are evil, they never come back, but souls who are good, their humanity saved, they'll stay forever, to Death they have caved."**

As he spoke, two white misty orbs containing Soul and BlackStar's souls appeared in front of their owners. Kid lifted his hands and performed the second motion in his sequence of hand waving.

_**See I've been traveling, been traveling forever**_

_**And now that I've found a home feels like I'm in heaven**_

_**Feels like I'm in heaven, feels like I'm in heaven**_

_**Feels like I'm in heaven, heaven…**_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

ZOMG *faints*

Word count: 3,574

Pages on Microsoft Word: 10

Me: damn that took forever ^.^'

Kid: :/ why do I keep rhyming?

Me: because I told you to. Shut up.

Kid: T.T

Patty: AHAHAHAHA I CAN SEE MY SOUL!

Me and Kid: -.-'

~DeaththeKidKat


	15. Chapter 15: Power

Okay, brace yourselves! This is the second to last chapter! *sniffle*

**Makino: **uh… MLP? Oh, you mean the maze? No, not intentionally. Although I must admit it does seem like it. XD

I feel so dumb sometimes… :3 like I complete a chapter with over 3,000 words and clap myself on the back, then I go read someone else's fic and they've got like 8,000. .' and I offer a million apologies, for this one will be shorter than perhaps even the first chapter… I really just don't have much time, and also sesame2009 is pestering me to get this done so she can upload Crescent Moon. Hmph. :P

Song: Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Everyone stared in amazement. Kid's outline had begun to glow with a pure white light. A final misty orb appeared between his palms, this one a light gray. Within was a strange… _black _soul? Yet it was clearly Kid's, with the three lines of Sanzu. As Spartoi and Stein watched, the middle line on the soul began to connect, mirrored by Kid himself.

**You're not alone, together we stand**

**I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand**

As it wrapped fully around his head, there was a huge boom and a small explosion of light. Kid threw his head back, eyes closed. The orbs that were floating in front of Spartoi lifted and drifted towards his. As they neared it, both meisters and weapons could feel the thrumming of power as the white orb grew in size. Theirs circled his, slowly, in tandem. Another deep _thrum_ and they connected, arcs of what looked like lightning crackling between each human soul and Kid's orb in the middle.

**When it gets cold and it feels like the end**

**There's no place to go, you know I won't give in**

**No I won't give in**

The weapons transformed (Liz wielding Patty), and stood in formation behind Kid. Stein just stayed off to the side with a small, kind of sad smile. He knew how this would end. So did the others, but they refused to admit it – tried to hold on to the tiniest hope that Kid would come home.

**Keep holding on**

'**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**

Taking a deep breath, Kid called forth every scrap of power his Shinigami body possessed, and thrust it into the misty orb between his palms. The dark gray lightning that was zapping between them grew and grew, then suddenly disappeared. Kid's orb stayed thrumming with immense power, singing its own unknown melody to the rhythm of Spartoi's souls. Marie, Kami, and Spirit were still hopelessly running through the maze. It was too late anyways.

**Just stay strong**

'**Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you**

Then Kid's orb disappeared altogether. The others flinched – was this supposed to happen? – and watched anxiously. The young reaper had looked up and stared straight at Zindyll. Their souls were still connected, so Spartoi could get a sense of what he looked like – just a sad, insistent, stubborn, determined, pitied, vengeful look that was probably literally staring into the elder demon's soul. As if he felt it too, the ghostly form twitched slightly and narrowed his eyes.

**There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do**

**There's no other way when it comes to the truth**

"You have strayed from the path." Kid's voice was mystical and strange, making the mortals' eyes widen. "A Kishin starts out as human. Demons do not. However, you still had an obligation to watch over the souls who were dead and doomed to spend eternity in damnation. We had an agreement. Demons would punish the evil souls, angels would watch over the good, and Death would govern all."

**So keep holding on**

'**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**

"But then, when Man challenged Death and lost, the angels became secluded and would not come down. The demons grew spiteful and jealous. You unleashed sin upon the world, and the angels unleashed virtue. Still Death watched silently."

**So far away, I wish you were here**

**Before it's too late this could all disappear**

"Death saw that the struggle between virtue and sin was going to destroy the world, that the angels and demons would stand by and watch. But Death knew this was not the way. Sin balances out virtue, and virtue quiets sin. That is the way the world should be – angels above, demons below, Man in the middle, never Death shows. Our rules and our conduct balance perfectly, and so it was, so it is, so it will always be."

**Before this door's closed and it comes to an end**

**With you by my side I will fight and defend**

**I will fight and defend**

Kid's voice had lowered to a whisper, when his it changed to a powerful resonating hum. "You have wronged the world, demon. You and the angels, although they at least know how to atone for misdeeds. Man descends into chaos. And always Death is here to right all wrongs. I judge you, for you have helped destroy humanity."

**Keep holding on**

'**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**

"My 'father' and I are older than life itself. For asking which came first is a stupid question."

**Just stay strong**

'**Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you**

"_The answer will always be Death."_

**Keep holding on**

'**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**

**Just stay strong**

'**Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you…**

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Wow. That's exactly a thousand words. :P

One more chapter to go, and then Dark Moon comes to an end… but fear not! Crescent Moon by sesame2009 will be posted immediately! And after that, Half Moon… and after that, who knows? Full Moon? Review if you'd like the series to go on! Please!

~DeaththeKidKat


	16. Chapter 16: Eternal

Here it is! The last chapter of Dark Moon … forever will we mourn it ;(

But for the umpteenth time… DO NOT FRET! For sesame2009 will be your savior with Crescent Moon, the sequel! If you want some more of my writing, check out Feathered Blades – my SE/Max Ride crossover – and Furry Fury, my new one-shot (soon to be more chapters) SE fic. I'll probably work on a Merlin fic, or a FMAB/SE crossover soon!

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sighing, Kid's glowy outline returned. He just gazed at Zindyll, knowing full well what he had to do. The others picked it up through their connection and frowned. "Kid, please tell me you're not _actually_ going to do that…" Maka muttered, glancing around.

_**I remember tears streaming down your face**_

_**When I said I'll never let you go**_

_**When all those shadows almost killed your light**_

_**I remember you say, don't leave me here alone**_

_**But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight**_

Giving her a sad look for a moment, Kid turned away and took a deep breath. "I wish it could be different. But this is the only way… I'm sorry."

_**Just close your eyes**_

_**The sun is going down**_

_**You'll be alright**_

_**No one can hurt you know**_

_**Come morning light**_

_**You and I'll be safe and sound**_

Kid ran at Zindyll, palms outstretched. At the last second, he concentrated and pressed them to his chest. With a shuddering gasp, he made his hands glow black, like when he summoned Beelzebub but darker. The young reaper gave a small cry, tearing his hands away, and hit Zindyll's ghostly form dead-on.

_**Don't you dare look out your window**_

_**Darling everything's on fire**_

_**The war outside our door keeps raging on**_

_**Hold on to this lullaby even when this music's gone, gone**_

With wide eyes, Zindyll drew in a hoarse breath and stared at Kid's glowing hands. The golden-eyed god was trembling but held his ground. _Curse... you..._ the demon gasped. Then he glared. _This isn't over Shinigami. My brothers will return._

"I... don't... care..."

_You have sacrificed yourself for nothing!_

"No... I haven't... I've sacrificed myself... for my friends... and friends are always worth dying for."

Zindyll disappeared in a flash of black, and Kid slumped to the floor. With small cries, his weapons ran to him. Liz placed his head in her lap, tears streaming down her face.

"Sorry... guys..." Kid rasped. "Tell... my dad... I'm so sorry..."

"Shhh..." Liz clenched his hand tight. "Don't talk!"

"No... I have to tell you..." By now the reaper was struggling for breath. Defeating an elder demon demanded a price - in this case, Kid's soul. His golden eyes were closed tight, but he opened them slowly, focusing on the faces of his friends.

"Kid," BlackStar whispered brokenly.

Smiling, Kid gazed up at the spiky-haired meister. "Sorry... guess I won't be around for you to surpass..." BlackStar let a single tear roll down his cheek. Even he knew that nothing could save his friend now.

"Maka... BlackStar... Tsubaki... Soul... Liz... Patty... thank you." Now Kid was gasping for air, heartbeat fluttering. Stein watched from the sidelines sadly.

"You helped me see... that great friendship... may require great sacrifice... but the rewards... are always greater."

**"Shadowy and soft  
>Death is dark<br>Wings drifting aloft  
>Death is quiet<br>Calm and mournful  
>Death is graceful<br>Never scornful  
>Death is impassive.<strong>

**The powers of Death will always stay true  
>No matter if its considered infernal<br>For when it comes for you  
>Death is eternal."<strong>

Kid took a deep breath and Patty sobbed. "Wait... for the day... Death knocks on your door..." he finished weakly. Those beautiful double-ringed golden-shaded eyes began to close. "Stay true... until Death... comes for you." Then his eyes closed, and his head lolled to one side, mouth still slightly open as his last breath was exhaled slowly.

And then there was silence.

_**Safe and sound…**_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

'_Why does it take a minute to say hello… and forever to say goodbye?'_

_~DeaththeKidKat_


	17. Sequel? Hah! More Like Novel

Hello, all!

First of all, if you're reading this, you're awesome for still having this story on your follow list. **x3** Or for finding it on the front page of Soul Eater stories... **-_-;**

As some of you know, November is National Novels Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. I have been participating for the first time (Screenname: Kidd-kun Kat :D) this year, and so far... I am ridiculously behind. **; 3 ;** Just look at my profile on the website to see. I think I'm 15,000 words behind now...?

Anyway, the other day during German class it occured to me; I'm no good at writing long novels about fantasy stuff, my attention span is too short. What am I any good at writing about? That's when it hit me. FANFICTION.

See, you can write fanfiction novels for NaNoWriMo. I know several people who do.

And so I thought to myself, what story would I make into a novel? One of my never-finished/never-published ones, or is there one begging for a sequel maybe...? And so that was the moment of my stroke of brilliance!

I decided to rewrite Dark Moon.

But even better - a few days earlier, sesame2009 (the person writing Crescent Moon, the sequel) and I were talking about said sequel, and she said she was probably not going to continue it for a good long while since she as well has a rather short attention span. Then I asked if I could rewrite it and make it normal, since she had turned it into a sort of pseudo crossover... thing... She agreed. ((Thanks, sesame~))

So basically, the sequel shall become a reality! I am going to not only rewrite Dark Moon and finish Crescent Moon, but I'm going to add the last three parts as well:

_Half Moon_

_Gibbous Moon  
><em>

_Full Moon  
><em>

If anyone has an opinion on the middle one, don't hesitate to voice it **=w=;** I was debating the 'Gibbous' one as well. Hehehe...

OKAY!

Now that that's out there, comment and review or PM me with happy thank-yous, enraged hates, flames, all that shit. **;3**

Be warned: My friends and I will use said flames to roast marshmallows/light my little brother on fire/destroy the world/kill people. :DDDDDD Maybe I'll go watch Psych and anime and stuff to get ideas for uses for much fire...

Sayonara~

_**Kat**_

* * *

><p><strong>GET READY... FOR THE EPIC NOVEL, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SELF-ADVERTISING <em>DARKKITTEHKAT. <em>PREPARE... FOR...  
><strong>

**_Moon_  
><strong>

coming to a fanfiction page near you

**1 . 12 . 12**


	18. Sneak Peek!

_"Oh- oh, Death!"  
>"Someone get him!"<br>__"They're back-"  
><em>_"Nygus, get over here!"  
><em>_"Someone hurry, I think he's blacking out-"_

* * *

><p>Everything hurt. He tried cracking open his eyes, only to recoil at the intense glare that burned his pupils and made him want to flinch. When he tried to twitch his cheek muscles, prickling sharp pain burned its way across his face, making him feel vividly every tiny cut and bruise. When he tried to recover feeling in his muscles, fire shot through every nerve ending, almost enducing a scream.<p>

The only problem? He was numb now, all over, couldn't feel and couldn't see. He _couldn't_ scream. All he could do was let the pain wash over him, and drag him into darkness.

* * *

><p>Kid awoke to bright light, and this time when he winced, it didn't carve pain into his face like it had on his last attempt. Groaning, he tried to sit up, but whimpered (humiliating) and fell back before he had made it two centimeters.<p>

"He's awake!"

"Strap him down, he's a danger to himself. He'll only start bleeding again if he moves too much."

The dazed reaper tried to pick out which voice was which. Was that… Nygus? And maybe his dad? No, slightly lower… BlackStar? Or… someone…

He blacked out once again.

* * *

><p>It seemed his entire existence for that first mind-numbing week was all pain and flashes of consciousness between long periods of dark silence. Explosions wracked his inner eyes, all silent but frightening nonetheless. Asura's face floated before him, mad cackles wrenching the air – the only noise audible to his sleep-muffled ears.<p>

"Wh'rm… I…" he remember mumbling once, lifting his head and seeing only hazy pictures of light, cream walls… horrible asymmetrical racks of medicine…

He wasn't allowed to sit up, however, until the day he had fully regained consciousness. To his hidden embarrassment, there were still restraining straps binding his wrists to the bed. "Are these necessary?" he'd complained.

"Of course," Nygus admonished. "You can't be allowed to move around, you'll aggravate your wounds even more."

To this he grumbled and closed his eyes, hoping against hope that he'd be _allowed_ out of the damn place soon enough.

* * *

><p><strong>A sneak peek at the re-write of Dark Moon. ;D<strong>

**Thank you to all of my faithful readers!**

**- sorry if you were confused in my announcement last chapter, but 1 . 12 . 12 is a European way of marking dates, for all you silly Americans here is your version: -**

**December 1st, 2012**

**P.S. You'll be happy to know I forced myself to sit down and write the first six chapters of the re-write already. :D 6,000 words in four hours! Woot!**

**_Kat_  
><strong>


	19. New Story!

You heard me right.

The re-write is out!

Apologies to you Eastern folks, where it is currently - what, two in the morning in Europe? Eight in the evening on the Eastern seaboard (US)? I had a grueling four-hour-long test today, a highschool placement thingeh. The highschool I'm applying for is really cool, though x3

Sooo yeah! The link to the new Dark Moon:

/s/8755675/1/Ðarĸ-Mooɴ

Yes, I am aware that it is a funky title. It looks more unique and this way I can actually tell the damn thing apart from the original story xD

Enjoy, my friends~

.

_**Kat**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

Oh, and by the way - I'm gonna change my screenname again. This time it'll be the name of a certain evil villain you'll all become acquainted with soon... (He's not named Zindyll anymore. Ehehehe...)


End file.
